There he built an altar to the Lord.

Genesis 13

There he built an altar to the Lord. v18

Those whom the Lord called often built altars - first Noah, now Abram, and others will follow.  This post here is a great read on why altars are built.  From this reference, I pick up several tidbits:

1. That we come to the altar (to God) as a starting point for transformation - "alteration" if you will
2. That broken stones are the basis for our altar - just as we come to God broken and sinful; we place our weights there for God to take them as well as our sacrifice and of course Jesus desires not animal sacrifice but our bodies as a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1)

I desire to be transformed into more of who Jesus is - please alter me Jesus.

He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God full of love, compassion and mercy.  You have spared me what I deserve - You did so by willingly and undeservingly submitting Yourself on the cross.  Thank You Jesus - I am not worth such a price.  Please forgive me for my lack of action and trust.  Help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Genesis 12

Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had. v20

Scripture is full of stories that repeat themselves and here we have a man, Abram, who - like those in Babel - chose to trust in himself vs God.  Although the circumstances are different (it does not appear as if those in Babel failed to trust to God through difficult circumstances), the end result is the same.  God has a plan, we must trust that this plan is better for us (He knows us better than we know ourselves - Psalm 139), He will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6), and that God's promises always come true (Psalm 117:2).

I must be patient on the Lord.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God, full of love, patience, compassion, mercy, etc. for me.  This I know.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love - I am broken and my sin continues.  Please forgive me and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

Genesis 11

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”  v4

Although God has ordained all of the days of our lives before we are born (Psalm 139) and God has  a plan (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10) for each of us, we often desire plans of our own as did those in Babel.

We must be clear that we exist to glorify God and that we cannot overcome God's plans - how arrogant!

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God and I have witnessed in my own life Your design and Your works - I am blessed and beyond thankful for what You have done to rescue and save me from my sin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth Your love - I neglect You.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You loved me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

Genesis 9

And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. v5

God wants Noah and his family to "be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.” (v7).  God know that the natural state of people is to sin and God alone can cleanse of us our sins.  Yet God does provide us with the Holy Spirit, the Word, prayer, and brothers and sisters in Christ as a way to find a way out over temptation.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Brothers and sisters in Christ (see also here) have been key to my own growth in Christ. Acts 2:42-47 stands out as well.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have blessed me abundantly with brothers in sisters in Christ who have built me up, encouraged me, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such an overflowing of blessing!  I am lazy, selfish, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.

Genesis 8

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. v1

In Genesis 6, God finds favor with Noah and commands him to build and ark that will be used to save Noah, his sons and their wives and two of every kind of creature on earth. He makes a covenant with Noah, and in Genesis 7, the earth is wiped clean of all sin by a flood brought by God. In Genesis 8, God demonstrates His faithfulness by ending the flood and placing Noah and His family on dry ground.

God is in control - He reigns.  We may find ourselves in circumstances that we don't understand but God knows what is good for us and He has a plan - one that is much bigger than us and it is perfect.

God's timing 
God's thoughts 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

My Prayer: Lord, Your ways are just and perfect and You know everything about me, yet You still came to suffer and die...to save me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such an act of sacrifice.  I am selfish, lazy, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Genesis 6

Noah did everything just as God commanded him. v22

God gave Noah very specific instructions about how to build an ark, and Noah followed these instructions - to the "t".  We exist to glorify God, and we can do this by doing what God says to do.  As James says, we should become "doers" of the Word.


Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22-25

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are!  Your Word is perfect and You provide it as a means for us to know and understand You, to spend time with You, for You to encourage and teach us, and I am thankful for Your Word and the Holy Spirit.  I am not worth such incredible blessings.  I am broken and I am lazy.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.

Genesis 4

But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. v7

Sin is indeed crouching at our doors.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

 

 We can protect ourselves by reading, studying and memorizing scripture.

See Proverbs 2, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 and other verses.  We can also protect ourselves by avoiding those who do not believe and consistently demonstrate willful sinful behavior - we must instead surround ourselves with other believers who can encourage us and be in prayer for us.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13

 

 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16

My Prayer: Heavenly Father - You are an awesome God who is able to beat sin and death.  You give me this same power and I am grateful Jesus!  Thank You.  However, I often lack complete trust in You and am taken away by sin.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me protect myself through faith and trust in You.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.