Lent Devotional
From the author, Dave Ellis I am a farm boy who became a teacher for Fergus Falls Public schools in 1973. I was also a teacher for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service at Prairie Wetlands Learning Center. Most importantly, I am a husband to Barbara and the dad of Michelle, Jennifer and Tim. God has blessed Barb and me with fifteen much loved grandchildren. Now in the early part of retirement from teaching, I continue to teach. In the Beginning devotionals are the combination of my enjoyment of both God’s creation and God’s living Word. As you share in these devotionals, take time to go outside. Search for God’s hand in creation. It will make the study of His Word more fruitful. May these devotionals open your eyes to the eternal love of God for you and your family.
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The Garden
| week one
Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. 21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. 22 Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:20-24 20
Devotional
Paradise, this is something grownups think they want. What is it? Paradise is like heaven. Paradise is a place of joy. It is a dream world. It is the best place you could ever be. Adam and Eve got to live there, in paradise. The Bible calls it the Garden of Eden. Why was it such a grand place? God made it. Think about this: God - all powerful, all knowing, everywhere present, perfect God - made a place for Adam and Eve to live. He called it the Garden of Eden. God could have built a building. Nothing is impossible for him. He did not build a building. He put the first man and first woman in a magnificent garden. Did I tell you it was paradise? Adam and Eve had delight and perfect happiness there. Remember what they got to do besides live in the Garden? Did you think of it? They got to walk and talk with God! Let me tell you, nothing, absolutely nothing, is better than walking with God. But they disobeyed God. Because of this, God banished them from the Garden. What happens when you are banished? Have you ever been sent to your room because you did something wrong? God drove them out of the Garden. He removed them, forever. They could not walk with him any longer. Are you sad about this? Me too. Why would they ruin such a good thing? Didn’t they enjoy walking with God? We disobey God, too. We often turn our backs on him. Because of their sin, God never let Adam and Eve go back to the Garden. He sealed the way with a powerful angel and a flashing sword. Is this the end of the story? Banished from the Garden, forever? Because Adam and Eve sinned, you and I sin. Sin keeps us away from God. He will not walk with us when we live in sin. But, we cannot stop here. Wouldn’t it be pure joy if there was a way to delight in Paradise, to live there? Forever? Adam
and Eve were banished from the Garden because of their sin. Yet, because God still loves us he made a way to make us right with him. He made a way to clean us of our sin. The Bible says he cleans us whiter than snow! Jesus is the way. Jesus died on the cross and allowed his blood to be shed to give us righteousness. When we believe in Jesus, it is like we never sinned. On the cross he said, “It is finished.” He took our sins away. One of the things Jesus finished is that there is no more being banished from Paradise. We can walk with God again, this time in a perfect garden called heaven-forever.
Go Deeper
We cannot read about Adam and Eve being banished from the garden without remembering that God put them in a garden, NOT a building. Guess what? Though affected by sin, the Garden is still present, it is outside. Plan a walk together outside (dress for the weather so you can stay out if it’s cold). Walk together, listening and watching what is happening outside. Talk about how you can see God’s eternal power. What in nature shows he is God? Make a list, and consider saving it to compare with your next walk! Pray together: After your walk, sit down and pray together. Thank God for his creation, the garden we live in.
God Knows
| week two
...When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. 6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” 8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.”And while they were in the fields, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. 9 Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” 10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear! 14 You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!” 15 The Lord replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. 16 So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 2
Genesis 4:2-16
secondchance
Devotional This is a very hard story to read. It shows us how awful sin certainly is. In our last Bible reading Adam and Eve are banished - forced out of the Garden of Eden. It was because of sin. Adam and Eve wanted to be like God and they disobeyed God. In our Bible reading for today the two sins of anger and jealousy cause a third sin: murder. While the story of Cain and Abel is both terrible and sad, we are no different from them, all of them; Adam, Eve and their sons Cain and Abel. On our best days, we have disobedience, anger, jealousy and yes, even murderous thoughts. There is something else in this true story of Cain and Abel. God punishes sin. God knows all of our sins. Remember in the Garden? God knew Adam and Eve had disobeyed. He knew where they were, he knew what they were thinking. Do you remember the other thing God did? God called to them, “Where are you?” To Cain, God said, “Where is your brother?” God knew. God saw what Cain had done. God sees us sin. God calls out “Where are you, where is your brother?” God shows us our sin when he calls to us. Expect him to call you. When we sin, God calls to us. His questions to us are directed at reminding us we’ve sinned against him. God hates sin. This is who God is; a sin-hating God. Not a people-hating God. Whether we are 3 years old or 65, God calls to us. When he calls, he points out our sin. He does it exactly the way we need, to convict us. Cain said, “My punishment is too great for me to bear!” He was convicted! One more thing. Could God have sent fire from heaven to burn up Adam, Eve, and Cain in a ball of heavenly fire? Would that be in his power? YES, he is God! Did he? No, he gave all of them another chance. The Bible is filled from Genesis to Revelation of God giving second chances. In this story that seems to have no happy ending, there is one. God gave Cain another chance. He does the same for you and me, all of our lives.
Go Deeper
Read Proverbs 6:16-19 What are the six things the writer of the Proverbs tells us God hates? Are there any you have never done (in thoughts, in words, in your actions)? Pray together: Thank God that he sees every sin - then gives us grace and forgiveness.
Water Covered It All
| week three
The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 7 And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the Lord. 9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. 10 Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. 13 So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. 5
Genesis 6:5-14
Devotional
This is a true account of God not giving a second chance. Did you read what the Bible says about God’s heart? It broke. After giving Adam, Eve, and Cain second chances, wickedness on earth increased. The infection of sin spread throughout the world. The Bible says God had regrets about making humans. Sin breaks God’s heart. This time there was no second chance for anyone but one - Noah. How amazing! In a sin filled world, Noah found favor with the Lord. First, amazing because only Noah found favor. This tells us the complete evil in the world at the time. Second, amazing because God was giving Noah and his family, and eventually, us too, a second chance. Was this because Noah was sinless? No, read Romans 3:23; “all have sinned.” Noah walked in close fellowship with God. Did you notice that word walked? Before sinning in the Garden, do you remember that Adam and Eve physically walked with God? Noah was very close to God. He let God direct his steps, his walk. Noah trusted and sought to obey God. God counted Noah’s behavior as righteousness. Noah failed to be perfect, but Noah trusted God, he believed God, and he obeyed God. God saw this. Imagine what Noah thought when he heard God’s plan to destroy the earth with a flood. Look outside, try to imagine a flood of water that covered the
entire earth, even the top of Mount Everest! Not easy, is it? Yet, Noah believed God. Now think about building an ark. At 510 feet, the ark was huge. It would cover 1½ football fields. When God gave Noah the instructions about ark building, did Noah say, “That’s impossible God”? No, Noah obeyed God, even when it seemed impossible, and even though it took Noah almost 100 years to build the ark. When the flood did come, Noah, his family and all the animals God put in the ark were saved from the waters. What does God teach us when we read about Noah? Sin breaks God’s heart. God punishes sin. However, God also provided a second chance for all of us when He saved Noah. Jesus is God’s second chance for us all. The sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for every human being gives all who believe in him a righteousness no human can make. Jesus gives us the chance to walk with God, like Noah. Jesus’ blood gives us favor with God.
Go Deeper
Go to a football field near your house. If you can, walk from one goal line to the other, and then turn around and go back to the 50-yard line. That’s how far you would walk from one end of the ark to the other. Now take that walk a second time, counting your steps. Find a place where you can walk a straight line for as many steps as the ark was long. Put a flag at the beginning to mark the start. Imagine, together, Noah’s Ark and God’s great love. Pray together: Thank God for his faithfulness and great love for us.
Be Fruitful
| week four
Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. 4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 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. 6 “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind. 7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.” Genesis 9:1-7 1
Devotional
We come to a new beginning. Does it seem like a second chance? The flood is over. The punishment for past sins has ended. The earth is dry again. The sea and the underground fountains are both in their God assigned places. God is now prepared to fill the earth with animals and people. Does God speak and there are animals? Does God speak and create a new Adam and Eve? Not this time. No need to ask why either. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). He is eternal God, everlasting Father. God does what He chooses. That is never a bad thing. Sometimes we forget that we can always trust that his ways are best. This time God directs Noah and his sons to be fruitful. God did not mean eat fruit. God told Noah and his sons to have many children. First, God blesses them. God gives Noah’s family his favor. He supports them. He approves of them. A blessing is an endorsement. Professional athletes endorse tennis shoes and many other products. They give their approval of the product. We buy things because famous people endorse them. Are endorsements by people powerful? Yes, or they would not be paid money for their endorsement. The professional athlete may not even believe in what is being endorsed, they do it for the money. Think about the difference of an endorsement from a person to an endorsement of God. Read what happened when God endorsed or blessed Noah’s family in verse 2. Fear and dread fell upon all the beasts of the earth, the birds, every creature on the ground and all the fish. Who were all the living creatures fearing? Noah’s family because God blessed them. No
endorsement ever made by any human being has had such power. Guess what? That endorsement blessing given to the Noah family still exists today. All creatures in nature continue to have a fear of people. God gives Noah’s family, and all people today, a second command. This command shows God’s plan and will is to protect human life. God tells this family just off a 370-day voyage on the ark not to kill another human. If you shed the blood of another human, your blood will be shed too, God said. God treasures human life. He made each of us in His image. Yes, he gives us a second chance because he loves us. God sent Jesus to save us from our sins. He had this planned from the beginning.
Go Deeper
Everyone benefits from time together in God’s garden. We call it outside. Your project is to test God’s endorsement given to Noah’s family that fear of people would come on all animals. Take a walk in a place where you know you will see animals. Squirrels will work, birds will work. Take turns and have one person quietly dare to attempt to get close to a bird or squirrel. (Never touch the animal - if you get close, you win!) The bird or animal will move away. For fun, see who is the quietest and can get the closest. Pray together: Thank God for his endorsement (blessing).
Rebels & Confusion
| week five
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 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.” 5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” 8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. Genesis 11:1-9 1
Devotional
Babel, it is a confused noise. It is a racket made by many voices all speaking, even shouting in unison. It is impossible to understand anyone. The more people try to make themselves understood, the more chaotic it gets. It is a frustrating place to be. It was so in the first Babel. The people living together then understood each other. They were successful in all they did. The plain of Shinar was the perfect spot for a new building. But the people determined it should not be ordinary. No, it should reach heaven. Why did they want it to reach heaven? To make a “name” for themselves. What does that really mean? They were rebelling against God. Again. Remember the first rebellion, Adam and Eve? The next, Cain? The third was evil over the entire earth. So, God sent the flood. Now, these relatives of Noah’s family are fighting God. Again. Look at what God said to Noah, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” Read again what the people on the plain of Shinar wanted, “...otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” God told the people, “FILL”, they said “NO, we want to stay together.” What God did reveals once more that he gives second chances. God remembers his rainbow promise given to Noah’s family. These relatives of Noah forgot. Today, we forget just like them. We disobey God too. God never changes. God’s plan was full of undeserved favor. He did not destroy the earth. He did not take the lives of those leading the people to build the tower. Only God’s great, perfect and never-failing wisdom would find a solution to the people’s defiance. God made them babble. One moment they were working, sweating to make themselves famous, the next moment not one person could understand the other. Were there confused looks? How about frustration? Did they keep trying to understand? Most likely they tried a long time. Then they began to leave this tower of defiance. Pride, selfishness, wanting to be God...it isn’t only the people of the Tower of Babel. We are just like them. It is because of sin. Confused, rebellious hearts can be changed. One of my favorite verses explains it well, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Another chance is given.
Go Deeper
Recreate the Tower of Babel scene. Tell everyone to think of a nursery rhyme and say their rhyme out loud at the same time. Was there confusion? Pray together: Confess or tell your sins to God. Thank him for his forgiveness of your every sin.
Leaving Home
| week six
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 1
Genesis 12:1-3
Devotional
“Abram, I AM God.” Abram likely heard words like this. He knew God was
speaking. But God did not speak with Abram about something ordinary. God said go away. Leave your home. Leave your people. How would it feel to you - to leave your home and family? To go to a “place” you didn’t know? To go to a place you’ve never been? It wouldn’t be safe. Being safe feels comfortable and protected. Mostly we feel safe in our house, in our neighborhood, with our family. We feel safe with things we know. We like to feel protected. Think about unsafe. Just the word feels scary. It may have seemed to Abram that God was asking him to do something unsafe by leaving his home. Abram was to go away. Away from people he could trust, away from the comfort of home, away from a land his eyes were used to looking at. Could you leave your family, your friends, the house where you live? Abram obeyed God. He left. All of the things he knew, gone. His family and his town, left behind. This must not have been easy for him. Abram left what he knew for what he did not know. He went into the unknown. Likely he did not feel safe. But he was not alone. Remember who sent him? God did. Abram knew God. He knew God’s Word is true. He knew God loved him. He knew his life was in God’s hands. Abram did not trust himself. If he did, he would never have left. He trusted God. He believed God’s promises to him: “make you a great nation, bless you, and make your name great.” Abram left the familiar and went to the unfamiliar, he went from comfort to uncomfortable. He went from relying on his own strength to trusting in God’s almighty power. He did not even have the comfort of knowing where he would go. But, he went. Most likely he was afraid. Unknowns make each of us fear. Abram did the thing that seems unreasonable - he trusted the command of an unseen other. This is hard. Usually, we need to see to believe. What a story! Abram obeyed God.
Go Deeper
Let’s look back.
In our study of Genesis we have discovered: 1. In the beginning God spoke. It was so - every time. 2. Adam and Eve, Cain, and all humans on earth disobey God. God sends the flood. God gives a second chance through Noah and his family. 3. Each day, God calls people to obey him. Abram obeyed and God blessed him. What do these things have to do with Easter? 1. God sent Jesus to be born a baby, to die for our sins. He spoke - it was so. 2. We disobey God. He sent Jesus to die for our sins. God gives us another chance. 3. When we fail, God gives us grace to obey. God is calling us to trust him today, to obey him.
In the beginning, God‌today God.
God blessed Noah and Abram. He still does that for us. He has given us the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.
Pray together: Thank God for his love for you and his gift of Jesus.
Bethel Lutheran Church
Fergus Falls Campus: 702 West Alcott Ave, Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Battle Lake Campus: 112 West Main St, Battle Lake, MN 56515 bethellutheran.church / office@bethellutheran.church / (218) 736-5654