Life with Lucas July-September 2024 by Life With Lucas

Raw, real and incredibly relevant LYNDON BOWRING

WITH LUCAS APPLYING GOD’S WORD TODAY

JULY – SEPT 2024

A friend of God

A WORD FROM JEFF

WELCOME TO LIFE WITH LUCAS!

LIVE WEBINAR! 19TH JULY

Have you ever felt intimidated by Christians whose faith seems to make yours look puny? Those who seem to jump from one miraculous intervention to another stunning revelation on a daily basis? I have, and it’s not a nice feeling. That’s why I’m glad that in the inspired pages of Scripture, God doesn’t present us with a parade of airbrushed heroes who invariably did the right thing. Scripture tells the stories of faithful, doubting, obedient, rebellious, pure, unholy souls who didn’t navigate a clear, straight-line path of spiritual progress. Often, they took two steps forward, followed by three steps back. And this is true in the story of Abraham, a true colossus of faith. Scripture chronicles his sins as well as his successes; his sacrifices are listed along with scandals that could have ruined him. The ancient story of Abraham can help us on our journeys. His walk with God contains many vital lessons. I hope you’ll be strengthened and encouraged as we take a walk in his footsteps. By the way, in the early part of his life, Abraham was called Abram – but for the sake of clarity, although the text uses Abram, I’ll use Abraham throughout. The same applies to Sarai/Sarah! We are taking a new step forward in this edition, with the opportunity for all readers to participate in a live webinar teaching session, in which I will focus on the character of Sarah. It will take place on Friday July 19th, at 6pm UK time, and 11am Mountain Time USA. This will be free to everyone in the Life with Lucas community, although we do invite you to make a donation to help us in this ministry. Look out for reminders over the next few weeks. And thanks as always for joining me!

© Son Christian Media (SCM) and Novio Published 2024 by SCM/Novio – PO Box 3070, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6WX, UK All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of SCM/Novio. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version® (US version), The “NIRV”, “New International Reader’s Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Publisher. Design by Piero Regnante – Rogfog Creative | rogfog.co.uk Printed by Halcyon

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INTRODUCTION

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE WITH LUCAS! CHOOSE A TIME Find the best time that works for you, ideally the same time, same place every day, when you can concentrate and have the least number of distractions. PAUSE AND TALK TO GOD Take a moment to focus on God and ask Him to speak to you as you read and reflect on His word. READ GOD’S WORD Read the daily passage from your Bible. Don’t be tempted just to skip this part. It’s important: who knows how the Holy Spirit might speak to you as you read the actual text? MAKE NOTES

ONLINE VIDEO INTRODUCTIONS, AND GOING DEEPER When you see the video icon, this points you to a brief Video Introduction to the subject. Make the most of the occasional Going Deeper resources when you see this icon. They will help you delve further into the passage. GIVE YOUR DAY TO GOD Thank God for what you’ve learned and ask for help if the day’s notes brought to light anything especially applicable to your life at the moment.

Writing slows you down and helps you focus. Write in your Bible, a notebook, or in the white space in the devotions. Don’t hesitate to underline, write in the margins, or circle words. 5

MON 01 JUL

A HUGE MISSION

READ Genesis 6:1-12 Genesis 3:1-24

FOCUS The earth was very sinful in God’s eyes. It was full of mean and harmful things. Genesis 6:11

VIDEO INTRODUCTION lifewithlucas.co.uk /intros

A champion of atheism once suggested that telling children stories about supernatural forces could harm them. He believes that stories about magic, fairies, Father Christmas, and, unsurprisingly, stories of faith are all unhelpful. The suggestion is that the world would be a better, brighter place if we were to forget the notion of God. John Lennon wanted to do away with both heaven and hell. But we don't have to ‘imagine’ what life would be like if we lived as if there is no God. The first ten chapters of Genesis (known as primeval history) show us what happens when humanity lives in ignorance or rebellion towards God. Following the fall, the world was full of corruption and violence, the first murder took place, and chaos ensued. And God ‘saw’ all of this. The contrast between what creation had been – ‘God saw everything he had made. And it was very good’ (Gen. 1:31) and ‘God saw how sinful the earth had become’ (Gen. 6:12) – is deliberate and stark. A world without God is no paradise – that was lost back in Eden. Against this dark backdrop, Abraham’s story begins. He was called to be a key player in God’s rescue plan for the planet. And we are called too. We are on a huge mission that is not just about getting more people into our churches and offering them a grace ticket to heaven. Our mission is to nudge them back into a faith relationship with God, which is how it was always meant to be. Prayer: Father, I thank you that following Christ is not just a way to live, but the way to live. Help me to live as a faith missionary. Amen.

TUE 02 JUL

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

READ Genesis 11:1-9 Romans 1:18-32

FOCUS Then they said, “Come. Let’s build a city for ourselves. Let’s build a tower that reaches to the sky. We’ll make a name for ourselves.” Genesis 11:4

The building of the Tower of Babel was a vital stage on the terrible downhill slide of humanity. Some insist that humanity is ‘ascending,’ but in truth, despite all our technological sophistication, left to our own devices, we won’t evolve into something more superior. The tower of Babel epitomises what happens when we turn our backs on God. Situated as it was east of Eden, the geography is a metaphor for the increasing distance being placed between the Creator and His creation. By reaching to the heavens, the Tower would mean humankind had determined the way to God and the terms on which they would know him: locating Him in one place, under their control. And the motive behind all of this was the desire of humans to ‘make a name for themselves,’ or even to have a ‘stairway to heaven.’1 The doomed project embodied human pride, brilliance and control. Nothing has changed much. Often preoccupied with a belief in our own cleverness, many feel we are too sophisticated to need God. And when that happens, the old idol of fame – making a name for ourselves – reappears with the same allure that tantalised the ancients. But there was a man that God was quietly preparing to raise up – Abraham, who would march to a different drumbeat. And he would have a ‘great name’ – great because God gave it to him (Gen. 12:2). Let’s beware of self-sufficiency and pride. They’ve been a curse to humanity from the beginning. Prayer: Father, help me to walk before you in humility, recognising the temptations I face have been battled throughout the ages.

Mathews, K. A. Genesis 1-11:26 Vol. 1A (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers: 1996) p481.

WED 03 JUL

THE ADAM’S FAMILY

READ Joshua 24:1-4 Genesis 11:27-32

FOCUS Long ago your people lived east of the Euphrates River. They worshipped other gods there. Your people included Terah. He was the father of Abraham and Nahor. Joshua 24:2

The early part of Genesis recounts Adam and Eve’s family line onwards – all the way through to Abraham’s father, Terah. A cursory look at Abraham’s family reveals they came from a background of occult worship. They were polytheistic moon worshippers – Sarah (Sarai) was named after a mythical queen who was supposedly married to a moon god, and Terah means ‘moon’. They lived in an area where worship of Namma, yet another god, was rife – and the burial traditions in that cult included human sacrifices offered at funerals. When the royal cemetery of Ur, Abraham’s hometown, was excavated by archeologists in the late 1920s, they found the corpse of the queen of the city. Still draped in a fabulous robe, she was surrounded by the bodies of 73 of her servants who had been bludgeoned to death, their bodies arranged neatly around their monarch, condemned to die with her. Nor did Abraham’s marriage have healthy foundations: he was married to his half-sister (Gen. 20:12). Sarah was Terah’s daughter, conceived with another woman. This family had other issues: consider the tensions that would later develop with Abraham’s cousin, Lot. But God chose this couple for a staggeringly significant role in human history. God uses broken people. There’s comfort for us here, as fragile people, still very much in process. Let’s not allow our pasts to make us feel excluded from God’s best. Whatever our family backgrounds or things we regret, God counts us in. Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your beautiful grace that includes and welcomes me. I rest in Your goodness. Amen.

THU 04 JUL

LED BY DAD, LED BY GOD

READ Acts 7:1-8 Genesis 11:31-32

FOCUS “Brothers and fathers, listen to me!... The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham. At that time Abraham was still in Mesopotamia.” Acts 7:2

It was a delightful surprise on our wedding day. During the speeches, Kay’s father remarked he felt that God had engineered their family’s relocation to the city where Kay and I were now planting a church. This was unexpected, because, as far as we knew, he was not a man of faith. But he saw that, behind his family’s decisions, perhaps the hand of God had been at work. That’s exactly what happened with Abraham. Before Terah, his son Abraham and the extended family settled in Haran, Abraham had previously received a revelation from the Lord while still living in Ur. Having left Ur, Terah made the choice to stop off before they had reached Canaan and settle in Harran. We are not told why. When Terah died, Abraham took that as his signal to move on to the next stage of the journey. Consider the picture here. In Ur, Abraham has a revelation of the true God. Then his father, as the family patriarch, decides to move. The text is clear: ‘Terah started out from Ur in Babylonia. He took his son Abram with him’ (Gen. 11:31). But later in Genesis we get God’s perspective on that relocation: ‘I am the Lord. I brought you out of Ur in Babylonia’ (Gen. 15:7). Terah, an idol worshipper, made a choice to relocate, unaware that the God of the Universe was quietly at work. Perhaps there’s a deeper, as yet unseen purpose in being where you are, and behind the decisions that you or others have made, God has been working to a bigger plan. Prayer: Lead me, Lord, whether I am aware of your guidance, or oblivious to it. Amen. 9

FRI 05 JUL

HE CAME LOOKING

READ Genesis 12:1 Romans 5:1-8

FOCUS The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country and your people. Leave your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

I constantly lose things. Yesterday, I managed to lose my glasses. I’d have liked to look for them, but couldn’t see a thing. Awkward. Helpfully, I have a spare pair. Normally my losses are temporary. But a dear friend recently went through a trying experience when she lost a piece of jewellery that was very valuable, but not covered by insurance. She and her husband have searched high and low – that which we value we diligently search for. As we begin to look at the big picture of Abraham’s interaction with God, notice a very important detail: God initiated the conversation. He made the first move towards Abraham. It’s vital that we remember God has come looking for us. Jesus has come 'to seek and to save the lost’ (Luke 19:10, NIV) and he died for us ‘while we were still sinners’ (Rom. 5:8). Recently I read the work of a commentator who remarked that ‘the only thing that God loves about us is Christ in us.’ I think that’s a horrible idea, and I don’t believe it. Even though we were marred by sin, God, like the father of the prodigal son, came running out to meet us while the stench of the pigs was still on us. Despite our flaws and failures, God still sees us as being so very valuable. This truth should not only affect the way we view ourselves, but the way we see others. We’re not welcomed into the family by a reluctant, hesitant God, but by One who has come looking for us. God made the first move towards Abraham. He’s done the same for us. Prayer: Lord, You came looking for me, and died for me. I praise you. Help me to live in the good of this truth today. Amen.

WEEKEND 06 - 07 JUL

GOD SPEAKS

READ Genesis 12:1 1 Samuel 3:1-21

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas. co.uk/goingdeeper

We saw yesterday that God initiated the interaction with Abraham, and it all began with a conversation, or more specifically, a clear command. God speaks. Some Christians make the idea of God speaking seem weird, implying the Lord gives them many revelations daily about the most insignificant details of life. But God does speak to those who want to hear Him. The whispers of God come through Scripture, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the nudge of healthy conscience, and through a hint in our hearts that can be difficult to describe or quantify – but we can learn to recognise it when it comes. Hearing God is part of healthy faith. A famous entertainer said, ‘Why is it that when we speak to God we are said to be praying but when God speaks to us we are said to be schizophrenic?’ But sometimes it’s not easy to discern God’s voice. We wonder: is this just my imagination? Am I just taking what I want and assigning God as the source of my desires? As the Lord spoke to Abraham, it appears there was no confusion. The directions were issued, and Abraham obeyed: but it’s not that straightforward, which is why I am comparing Abraham’s call with that of young Samuel. Both men did great things for the Lord, but Samuel experienced a lot of confusion. If we find discerning God’s voice difficult at times, we are in good company. Our struggles don’t imply we are not committed to Jesus, but rather demonstrate we are determined to discern and hear correctly. To ponder: Why is it difficult to discern the will of God at times? Do you think we Christians sometimes make hearing God sound easier than it is? 11

MON 08 JUL

OUR MESSAGE

READ Genesis 12:1-4 Matthew 4:18-22

FOCUS The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country and your people. Leave your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

I’m lingering on these verses, because I want to make a strong statement: we have often completely misunderstood the Christian message. Some seem to think responding to the gospel call is simply a way to get rid of personal guilt, or as a step to fulfilment and peace. Others see a response to Christ as a way of securing a free pass to heaven. But Abraham’s story in general and his call in particular are important. He wasn’t just a mighty person of faith: his journey also shows us the purposes of God for humanity. They do include pardon, peace and eternal life, but so much more. Over the next few days, we’ll see God’s call to Abraham has incredible relevance to us, because God’s plan for us mirrors his plan for Abraham. Not that we’re all called to emigrate, as Abraham was, but we are all called to journey with God, to get in step with Him and His plans, to trust and submit to Him daily. So before we get into the details, let’s ask ourselves this – have we settled for a miniaturised version of the Christian message, one that deals with our past and offers heaven for our future – or are we continuing the journey for the purpose God has called us to? As we hear Jesus offering the invitation, ‘Come. Follow me... I will make you fishers of people’ (Matt. 4:19), we see His entire message began with an invitation to change, with resulting upheaval, progression, and new priorities. Are we still responding to that glorious invitation? Prayer: Lord, help me to follow You, wherever You lead today. I intentionally, deliberately make myself available to You. Amen.

TUE 09 JUL

IN THIS SEASON

READ Genesis 12:1-4 Hebrews 11:13-16

FOCUS The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country and your people. Leave your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

Let’s reflect a little more on what we considered yesterday. The call to follow the Lord can be costly, not least because Jesus is disruptive. He scatters tables in the Temple courts and summons a hated tax collector away from his thriving business to a lunch that would revolutionise everything. This same God called Abraham to an utterly radical, almost unthinkable step – to leave his homeland and family. In our mobile culture, where people no longer stay in the same job or house for decades or even a lifetime, the impact of this could be lost on us. In Abraham’s time, a move like this was much more unlikely and therefore risky. And there’s a further component of risk here – Abraham was 75 years of age. This was not a call to a young person, with no security trappings to leave behind, who would see risk as an exciting adventure. This call came to a couple who had settled in their habits, their relationships, and were no doubt comfortably familiar with their surroundings. They might have felt justified in wanting to spend their remaining days in predictable comfort. I’m challenged. Being 75 is still a little way off for me. But at this stage of my life, am I still willing for Jesus to lovingly disrupt my life? I don’t want to view risk and bold faith as something in my history – that’s not an attitude I’m willing to embrace again today. How about you? Let’s give God this season, whether we’re young, old, or in between. Let’s walk with Him all the way home. Prayer: Lord, help me to be ready to travel with You, now, in this season of my life. Amen. 13

WED 10 JUL

A JOURNEY WITH GOD

READ Genesis 12:1-4 Matthew 28:16-20

FOCUS The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country and your people. Leave your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

I know. We’ve read the same few verses together repeatedly. But there are such vital principles contained in Abraham’s call. We were relocating back to the UK, a young family with two children aged 7 and 10, and I can still remember the fear. We had only temporary rented accommodation for six months, and a guaranteed income of just £4000 per year, with the hope that ministry opportunities would open up. I remember sitting on the plane, as it taxied down the runway, and experiencing a moment of cold terror: what was I doing? But then I had a deep sense we were not alone, we were on a journey with God. And God did take care of us in remarkable ways. Abraham was not just sent somewhere by God, but he was promised God’s presence as he went. It’s important we see that he was not just promised blessing, but assured the blesser would accompany him. Later that pledge would be confirmed as the Lord made a covenant with Abraham: ‘Abram, do not be afraid. I am like a shield to you. I am your very great reward’ (Gen. 15:1). God is with us, and always will be. Jesus’ final parting words of benediction were obviously chosen with great care: they would obviously be marked and especially remembered. And so, He said simply but powerfully, ‘I am with you.’ Being a disciple is not just a call to follow Christian principles or even Kingdom agendas, but a call to walk by faith with the Christ, with the King, who has promised to be with us – forever. Prayer: I praise you, faithful God, that I am not just sent by You today, but invited to walk with You. Lead and guide me, I pray. Amen.

THU 11 JUL

WALKING WITH GOD

READ Galatians 5:13-26 Genesis 48:15-16

FOCUS Since we live by the Spirit, let us march in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas. co.uk/goingdeeper

I’d like to pause and reaffirm this truth: just as Abraham was called to walk with God, so we’re called to walk with the Lord. ‘Walking’ is a Jewish phrase for life lived with the Lord. Paul uses it to exhort the Galatian Christians to ‘march in step with the Spirit.’ These words were spoken to churches that had divided into two polarised camps, both guilty of unhealthy extremism. Some taught that in order to be saved, Christians needed to diligently keep a plethora of Old Testament laws – plus a heap of additional human traditions. Others had abandoned the call to holiness entirely, and suggested grace meant immorality was fine for the believer. Paul corrects both serious errors with a call that sounds very similar to the call made to Abraham – he wants them to avoid law and licence and instead walk in the Spirit, which literally means, ‘walk around with God’. This call is not to advanced, deeper spirituality for the few, and it’s certainly not a signal for weirdness. Instead, Paul wants us all to live each day in step with the Holy Spirit. That call has challenged me, because I have tended to take more of a ‘filling station’ approach to my days – stopping off for times with God, but not cultivating a sense of navigating the day with Him, with comments shared, questions offered, requests made, gratitude expressed, and the easy silence good friends enjoy. Just as Abraham was called to walk with God, so are we. Prayer: Today, Lord, I choose: I will not walk through these hours alone, but with You. Lead me, speak to me, and just be with me. Amen.

FRI 12 JUL

BLESSED TO BLESS

READ Genesis 12:1-4 2 Corinthians 9:1-13

FOCUS “You will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you.” Genesis 12:2–3

Early in adulthood, many of us were advised, ‘Stand on your own two feet.’ But while a sense of responsibility is vital, as believers, we are never called to self-sufficiency. Instead, we are invited to live in the promises of God and be assured of His blessing and help. Paul celebrates this truth: ‘Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing’ (Eph. 1:3). The word ‘blessing’ occurs 88 times in Genesis, and 310 times elsewhere in Scripture. But the promise of blessing brings responsibility, as it did for Abraham. Imagine being told that you are going to be a conduit for the blessing of the entire planet! Christianity is a call to a blessed life that will in turn be a blessing to others. But we don’t do that alone. Abraham’s call was to lead to the formation of a nation, a community of people. It’s been said that the entire story of the Bible, Genesis through to Revelation, can be summarised in one sentence: ‘God gets His family back.’ Abraham was the catalyst and founder of the nation of Israel, and ultimately God’s plan to bless the earth was going to be worked out, not just through him as one individual, but through a people together. That’s one reason (among many) why I believe the local church is vital – God has always made it his plan to touch communities through communities. But the local church will become unhealthy and even useless if it becomes internally focused, greedily looking for blessing, rather than seeking to be a blessing to its locality and the wider world. We are blessed to bless. Prayer: Loving Father, may I be a blessing as I am blessed. May the church of which I am a part be a blessing, even as we are blessed. Amen.

WEEKEND 13 - 14 JUL

HINTS OF WAR

READ Genesis 12:5-6 Ephesians 6:10-20

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas. co.uk/goingdeeper

In the earlier days of my Christian journey, I became excessively concerned about Satan. Having read a few terrifying books about spiritual warfare, I started drifting into a neurotic existence, where every tiny thing that went wrong was viewed as part of a dark conspiracy hatched in hell. It became both absurd and dangerous when some hyperdeliverance teaching went around the church: people insisted demons were responsible for every little personal issue in their lives, and ‘demons’ were being cast out with frightening regularity. Perhaps that is why I, and many others, overreacted by almost being oblivious to the ever present reality that we are involved in a spiritual battle. As you’ll see in today’s Going Deeper, we all tend to be pendulums! Even as Abraham heard from God and set out on his journey, we are reminded there are Canaanites in the land – the promised territory was already occupied. And the mention of the great tree of Moreh has an ominous ring about it, because the Canaanites gathered there for their occult encounters with soothsayers, who insisted that oracles came to them as they listened to the rustling of the leaves. With such a large caravan of pilgrims with him, Abraham’s acts of worship would have been very public – which could have been perilous. Abraham’s journey was a trek through a dangerous battlefield. Let’s not be obsessed with spiritual warfare, but let’s not ignore the reality of it either. To ponder: Are there any ‘pendulum swings’ in your thinking and faith?

MON 15 JUL

LEGACY AND SACRIFICE

READ Genesis 12:1-8 2 Samuel 24:18-25

FOCUS Abram built an altar there and worshipped the Lord. Genesis 12:8

It’s a question we should all consider, regardless of our age. What legacy are we creating with our lives? Legacy is not just something that remains after we die: we are creating a legacy right now and others are already being affected, for good or ill, by our choices. As Abraham pauses to build an altar, we see he was intentional and determined in his worship. Building an altar takes time and effort. Later in history, King David would insist that he would not ‘sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that haven’t cost me anything’ (2 Sam. 24:24). Sacrifice sits at the heart of our worship. Abraham built more altars, in Bethel, Hebron, and Mount Moriah (Gen. 12:8; 13:18; 22:9). Those altars remained as declarations of worship to the true God, long after he had moved on. Commentator Kent Hughes remarks, ‘How beautiful—the only architecture that remained from Abram’s life were altars.’2 Surely there are times for us all when we wonder whether our service for God’s Kingdom is worth it. There are countless unsung heroes who are quietly faithful in working hard in their churches and communities. Perhaps you are one of them, and right now you feel tired and unappreciated. It might be that you are starting to feel resentful and wonder why others don’t step up and contribute. In the meantime, figuratively speaking, you continue to build altars as you serve. May you know today that your efforts are not in vain. Prayer: Lord, help me to be faithful in serving You when I least feel like it. May my life create a legacy for Your praise and glory, both today and always. Amen.

Kent Hughes, Genesis: Beginning and Blessing, (Crossway Books: 2004), p187

TUE 16 JUL

NOT WHAT WE EXPECT

READ Genesis 12:10-20 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

FOCUS At that time there wasn’t enough food in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while. Genesis 12:10

Eight hundred miles is a long way to travel, especially by camel rather than aeroplane, and through the searingly hot desert. In addition to this, you don’t know where you’re going, and there is no GPS system – just a deep sense that God Himself has spoken to you. That’s the situation Abraham endured. And you might think, after such incredible steps of faith and courage, the result would be quick possession of all that had been promised. But it didn’t turn out like that. One writer says Abraham’s trek of faith became an extended tour of faith, because he still wasn’t able to move forward and take possession of the land pledged to him – all he could do was survey it. To add insult to injury, there was famine in the land, which meant Abraham was forced to take unwise emergency measures. He might have been tempted to think imagination, not revelation, had led him into this tight spot, and it had all been a costly mistake. We can be guilty of thinking in a similar way. Surely if we simply obey God and put him first, everything will turn out just fine. But the harsh reality is that, despite doing so, we may still end up confused, persecuted, confined to prison cells or hospital beds, or other unwelcome places. Paul discovered the same thing. In spite of all this, Abraham trekked on, although there was trouble ahead. Even if we are in unanticipated circumstances, let’s continue our trek too – avoiding some of the pitfalls Abraham was about to fall into. Prayer: Father, when life disappoints, and it feels like You have disappointed me, help me to trust You, even against all odds. Amen. 19

WED 17 JUL

In Abraham’s day, if famine struck, people would head for Egypt. Artwork of the time shows people trekking there, to escape their own parched earth. Egypt was less susceptible to famine because of the flooding of the Nile. Abraham, despite the assurance of God’s promises, did what everyone else did, and resorted to the same ‘logical' emergency measures.

READ Genesis 12:10 Romans 12:1-2

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be non-conformists, and not just in our moral behaviour. God has called us to a radically different mindset, choosing faith over worry, trust over fear, generosity over selfishness, and faithfulness over fickleness. We bless when cursed, pray for our enemies, and forgive those who hurt us. But too often we simply adopt the mindset of those around us, vaguely believing in God as a theory but practically acting as if He does not exist. We live by what we really believe – all the rest is religious froth.

FOCUS So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while. Genesis 12:10

Commenting on Paul’s words in Romans, Tom Wright says, ‘We should refuse to let “the present age” squeeze us into its mould, dictate to us how we should think and indeed what we should think, and tell us how we can and can’t behave... Instead, we are to be transformed; our minds need to be renewed. We have to set the pace ourselves, and work out what sort of people we should be. The basis for this is not what the surrounding culture expects of us, but what God in his mercy has done for us.’3

CONFORMED

By grace, let’s march to God’s drumbeat. Prayer: Father God, when my mindset is being shaped by my culture more than by Your revelation, renew my mind. Amen. 20

Wright, T. Paul for Everyone: Romans Part 2: chapters 9-16, (SPCK: 2004) p68.

THU 18 JUL

FEARFUL AND SELFISH

READ Genesis 12:11-13 Philippians 2:1-11

FOCUS “Say you are my sister. Then I’ll be treated well because of you. My life will be spared because of you.” Genesis 12:13

Reading an eye-witness account about the sinking of the Titanic, I was shocked to discover people sitting in half-empty lifeboats. The oarsmen had been told to deliberately avoid helping those in the water, freezing to death and drowning. The concern was that the boats might be capsized by their frantic scrambling. There were exceptions, but instead of self-sacrifice and heroism, heartless self-preservation kicked in. As Abraham instructed Sarah to join with him in the deception that she was his sister rather than his wife, he placed her in danger, vulnerable to the advances of other men. And if their mutual deception became known (as ultimately, it did) then she might be killed by an angry suitor. Often, fear is fuelled by selfishness. We are so concerned about what will happen to our future, our stuff, our property, that we allow fear to take root in our lives, and even make decisions that could hurt others, in order to protect ourselves from vulnerability. Look at Abraham’s language, which is telling: ‘I’ll be treated well because of you. My life will be spared because of you.’ It’s all me, me, and more me. Perhaps you find yourself in Sarah’s sandals – you have been hurt by somebody else's bad choices. As we’ll see, despite the mess that Abraham made, God remained faithful, and helped them through. May you experience that help today. And if we’re about to hurt others with a selfish decision, let’s stop right now. Prayer: Save me from the deception of selfishness, Lord. Help me to look to the interests of others, and not just my own. Amen. 21

FRI 19 JUL

DOWNHILL STEPS

READ Genesis 12:11-13 John 15:1-17 FOCUS “Say you are my sister. Then I’ll be treated well because of you. My life will be spared because of you.” Genesis 12:13

LIVE WEBINAR! 6PM UK TIME Sarah: an unsung hero or just a laugh?

Before we move on, let’s notice a disturbing trend in Abraham’s life. He’s trekked hundreds of miles in complete obedience to God’s call, he’s left security and family behind, built altars to worship God – and then he has made a frantic diversion to Egypt, where he concocts a dangerous scheme involving his wife. One small step of independence has led to another. I find that to be true in my life. We gradually slide into sin, compounding one decision of self-interest with another. Before long, we are in the habit of ignoring the purposes and direction of God and are firmly heading in what is really our own way. Rebellion is not level ground. Erosion will continue and, before long, even though we’ve been promised so much, as Abraham was, we end up creating messes and troubles for ourselves, harming others, and discrediting the name of the Lord. Too many times, I have run ahead of God, thrilled with my own brilliant ideas, only to fall flat on my face – and to suffer the consequences, perhaps for years afterwards. And this is not just theory here – a few years ago I made a business decision in an area in which God had previously blessed me with success. So I presumed, wrongly, that my next great idea would be equally successful. How wrong I was, and I live with the regret of that every day. My independence has been quite expensive. God wants us to stay close. Jesus says that without Him we can do nothing. We’d do well to believe Him. Prayer: When I begin to wander off, Lord, rescue me from myself, especially when I feel confident and strong. Amen.

WEEKEND 20 - 21 JUL

EXCUSING SIN

READ Genesis 12:11-15 Genesis 3:1-24

FOCUS Abram arrived in Egypt. The people of Egypt saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. Genesis 12:14

Temptation brings with it the power of persuasion. When Eve was presented with forbidden fruit, it came with an impressive sounding sales pitch that undermined God’s command and even questioned His goodness and integrity. A ‘rational’ argument was presented along with the opportunity. And in the wilderness, when Satan tried three times to make an unholy deal with Jesus, Scriptures were quoted out of context, and false promises made (Luke 4:1-13). When presented with a disastrous moral choice, we can drum up excuses for our behaviour. Abraham could have assured himself that he needed to stay safe – after all, he had been told by God that he would have a vital role to play in the earth, a role that he could hardly fulfil if he was dead at the hand of Pharoah. Or he could protest that he had only spoken a half-truth – Sarah was indeed his half-sister – but she was also his wife. Employing a so-called ‘white lie,’ Abraham had some wriggle room. We are good at coming up with defences for our bad choices. Everyone is doing it. I need this for me. This marriage has become tired. I need some excitement. The company had plenty of money, so the little that I stole wouldn’t be missed. I shared that gossip partly because I was concerned about the church and wanted my friends to pray about that rumour... Let’s beware the human tendency to excuse what we know is wrong. All the excuses in the world won’t change bad outcomes, as we’ll see tomorrow. To ponder: Have you ever made ‘rational’ excuses for bad choices? 23

MON 22 JUL

OTHERS GET HURT

READ Genesis 12:11-15 Romans 12:1-21

FOCUS When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they bragged to Pharaoh about her. Sarai was taken into his palace. Genesis 12:15

We have already seen that our poor choices can hurt others. Now placed in the Pharaoh’s harem, Sarah is in danger of being used sexually by the most powerful man in the land. If Abraham is distressed at this thought, nothing is mentioned. One can only hope that Abraham wept every night at the thought of his lover being used by someone else. We have no idea how long Sarah was held in these horrendous circumstances. But what brings me back to focus on this picture is the important truth that sinful choices never just affect us. We might selfishly protest that our lives are our own, and we can do what we like with them. Not only is that not true if we belong to Christ, but there will always be collateral damage when we rush or amble into rebellion. The enticement of an affair often means that children will grow up in a fractured home, with a spouse cut to the heart with the scalpel of rejection. Or maybe one selfish action results in a destroyed reputation, as the name of a church or even the Lord Himself is brought into disrepute. A private choice of a brief season of pleasure brings public shame and long-term devastation. Sin is like a bomb, maiming and destroying innocent people. Next time we’re tempted to make bad choices, let’s not just think about what the effect might be on us, but on those who will end up suffering as a result. As we’ll see in the unfolding story, Abraham’s deception even affected Pharaoh. Prayer: Lord, when I am tempted to think my decisions are my own business, help me to remember my guilty actions affect the innocent. Amen.

TUE 23 JUL

BLESSING THAT IS NOT A BLESSING READ Genesis 12:16 Matthew 19:16-30 FOCUS Pharaoh treated Abram well because of her. So Abram gained more sheep and cattle. He also got more male and female donkeys. Genesis 12:16

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Abraham suddenly found himself living the life of a rich man, because Pharaoh was so delighted with his new ‘acquisition’ that he showered her ‘brother’ with gifts. Female donkeys were easier to control, which made them valuable. Some translations mention camels: they were just being introduced as domesticated animals, which made them still rare. By being given both, Abraham was acquiring the symbols and trappings of prosperity. Once again, he could have rationalised this was all part of God’s blessing for him – but blessing had nothing to do with it. His riches were paid for by Sarah, probably every time she had to surrender her body to Pharaoh. Abraham was living the high life, but his wife had effectively become a prostitute to facilitate it, and he was living on her ‘immoral earnings’. Just because a person is rich doesn’t automatically mean that their source is God. The gains may be ill-gotten, because others have been oppressed, or swindled into parting with their hard-earned cash. Even when God is the source of financial blessing, cash can turn into a curse if we don’t handle it correctly. When we fall in love with money, become obsessed with making more, refuse to be generous, make entirely moneyfocused decisions, or fool ourselves into thinking more money means more happiness, we’re on a slippery slope. Let’s ask God to provide for us as we work hard, and refuse dishonest gain. And if that particular blessing comes, let’s handle it with care and guard our hearts. Prayer: Lord, You are my provider, my source. When greed beckons, grant me a clear head and a clean heart. Amen. 25

WED 24 JUL

IMPOSSIBLE?

READ Genesis 12:11-16 Ephesians 3:14-21

FOCUS God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by his power that is working in us. Ephesians 3:20

I can’t believe Abraham was untroubled as he enjoyed a fat cat lifestyle while his wife endured what one writer graphically describes as ‘frantic days and sleepless nights’ at the harem. Surely he must have regretted the poor choice that he had made. We’re not told. But whatever his private thoughts, there wasn’t a thing he could do. To go to Pharaoh, own up and insist he take Sarah back as his wife might have led to their deaths. Abraham was in a completely impossible situation, and he and Sarah could have lived the rest of their lives and died in Egypt had it not been for God’s intervention, which we’ll consider later. But God did act, in a supernatural way, to break this impossible deadlock. I’ve recently realised that I don’t ask God to do as much as I used to, especially in seemingly unchangeable, impossible situations. Sometimes I’m reluctant to boldly pray when I hear about a devastating diagnosis of terminal cancer. I believe in healing, but don’t see nearly as much of it as I’d like, and so I don’t want to be disappointed. But God is still God, and with Him, all things are possible. The Christian message is founded on the impossible being a reality. It is humanly impossible for a virgin to conceive, for a dead body to come to life, for eyes that have been blind from birth to be opened. Let’s continue to bring ‘impossible’ situations to the Lord in prayer, even if the prognosis or outlook seems impossibly bleak. Prayer: Father, Your word teaches me to always pray. Holy Spirit, fuel and guide my prayers, especially when I face a situation that is humanly impossible. Amen.

THU 25 JUL

SOWING AND REAPING

READ Genesis 12:17-20 1 John 1:5-10 FOCUS But the Lord sent terrible sicknesses on Pharaoh and everyone in his palace. He did it because of Abram’s wife Sarai. Genesis 12:17

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It might seem a little unfair that Pharaoh was judged because he took Sarah as one of his wives. Because of Abraham’s deceptive little plan, the Egyptian leader had no idea he was in a relationship with another man’s wife. However, let’s not forget that Sarah was effectively used as a chattel at Pharaoh’s whim. Whatever we think about the judgement that fell on Pharaoh’s house, it’s clear he was held responsible for his actions. His oppression of others ultimately led to judgement. In this case, it looks like an outbreak of serious skin diseases afflicted Pharaoh’s household. Some scholars say Sarah was unaffected, which is how Pharaoh knew the judgement had something to do with her. We saw earlier that we can use all kinds of excuses to justify our stepping into sin, but the reality is that, although we might point to all kinds of ‘mitigating’ circumstances (it’s my upbringing, my past, the devil made me do it, he/she tempted me, it’s just a tiny sin, etc.), we are accountable for ourselves. And while what we do negatively doesn't lead to a plague on our households, we’ve seen that bad actions usually reap bad consequences. Abraham has no defence for his actions, as he was effectively kicked out of Egypt, a shamed man. The giant of faith has become a selfish schemer, a disgrace. But as we’ll see tomorrow, he hasn’t been ejected from the promises and faithfulness of God. If we’ve failed, let’s own up to God, get up, and move forward. Prayer: Heavenly Father, knowing that what I sow, I will reap, help me to sow good seeds into my life, with the help and strength of Your Spirit. Amen. 27

FRI 26 JUL

BACK TO BETHEL

READ Genesis 13:1-4 Luke 15:11-32

FOCUS From the Negev Desert, he went from place to place until he came to Bethel... he had also built an altar there. Genesis 13:3-4

The next chapter in Abraham’s story should bring us great hope. It shows us those who have failed can, by God’s grace, start afresh, fully engaged with God’s purposes. For Abraham, that meant a retracing of steps, back to Bethel, where once he had built an altar and called on God’s name. Yesterday’s follies didn’t dictate his present or his future, and they don’t dictate ours either. No time machine is available to enable us to undo yesterday’s mistakes. But we can take a return journey to our past values, priorities, acts of service, and habits of worship. We might have suffered loss because of our bad choices, but there might also be elements of what we have left behind that we can benefit from picking up again. Whatever ‘going back to Bethel’ might mean to us when we fail, it will invariably be a return to our maintaining an altar of worship. In Egypt, there is no record of the duplicitous Abraham building altars, and there had been no reference to him calling on the name of the Lord. But now he returns once again to the place of submission, to the place of acknowledging and bowing before God as his source. As we’ll see, retracing his steps didn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t make the same foolish choices later. But for now, he is like the returning prodigal, trekking homeward with a heavy heart, but finding a surprising welcome as he did. If we’ve been foolish, let’s return again to wisdom, to wholeness, and, thank God, to grace. Prayer: Lord, grant me wisdom and discernment, that I might avoid the pathway of foolishness. Amen.

WEEKEND 27 - 28 JUL

HEAVY SIN, HEAVY GRACE

READ Genesis 13:1-4 Isaiah 53:1-6

It’s a fact that Christians are good at being shame addicts. Healthy guilt is important – it’s good to feel bad when we’ve been bad, lest our consciences become defiled, and our hearts hardened. But we often don’t distinguish between guilt and shame. Guilt is redemptive, calls us back to dignity, and points to specific failure. Shame smothers us with the accusation that we are complete failures. For too many, the good news has not been that good. I’ve lived that way. My prayers revealed I felt toxic shame, often beginning something like this: ‘Dear Lord Jesus... sorry...’ It wasn’t that I was living in a way that demanded constant repentance; I just felt bad enough about myself to make me apologise obsessively for nothing in particular. And so with that in mind, we should make note of a little literary device buried in this passage in the Hebrew text. The word kabhodh means heavy, and is used both to describe the famine in Negev, and then Abraham’s riches. This is called parallelism, and is a way for the writer to let us know that Abraham’s success, which we’re about to see, should be read with the memory of his failure in Egypt in mind. The intended message is something like this: Abraham’s sin was heavy. And Abraham’s success was heavy too. Or to put it another way, ‘But where sin increased, grace increased all the more’ (Rom. 5:20). Sinned heavily? Grace is heavier. Let’s allow the weight of it to wash our shame away. To ponder: Many of us define ourselves by our worst moments. Is there a negative event that tends to define you, in your thinking? 29

MON 29 JUL

TROUBLE AND STRIFE

READ Genesis 13:5-12 Luke 12:13-21

FOCUS The people who took care of Abram’s herds and those who took care of Lot’s herds began to argue. Genesis 13:7

According to Peter, Lot was a righteous man (2 Pet. 2:7). Compared to the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, he was – but he was certainly not blameless, particularly not in his attitude to wealth. It looks as though Lot has prospered off the back of Abraham’s prosperity, but it wasn’t enough. Having money, it seems, doesn’t actually cure greed, and having more than we need might actually fuel our lust for more. So it is with Lot. In the face of rising tensions that will lead to a separation between the two men and their caravans, Lot is shrewdly seeking to secure the best land for himself. Despite the promise of God being given to Abraham, and Lot being a passive beneficiary of it, Lot wants still more. The prospect of money can lead to some very ugly behaviour. I’ve seen that recently at a very practical, contemporary level. The death of a friend has led to some unholy wrangling between those listed as beneficiaries in the will. Despite their having done nothing to earn what is being freely bequeathed to them, they are haggling, especially over items that haven’t specifically been designated in the estate. What was intended as a blessing from their hardworking and conscientious parents is now threatening to tear a family apart, and all because of the allure of stuff. Is a windfall heading your way? Don’t let it fuel a greedy, scheming attitude. The fracture in your friendships and family might still be there long after the cash has been spent. Prayer: Lord, when I have money, help me to never allow money to have me. Save me from greed. Amen.

TUE 30 JUL

SEEING BY FAITH

READ Genesis 13:14-18 Matthew 6:19-24

FOCUS The Lord spoke to Abram after Lot had left him. He said, “Look up from where you are. Look north and south. Look east and west.” Genesis 13:14

Both Abraham and Lot do some land surveying – the language that describes both looking around at the horizon is a deliberate parallel. But while Lot sees fertile land and immediately wants it, he looks with a naive heart. Land as lush as that would certainly be in demand from others. It would be contested, as he was about to see to his cost. Sometimes we are tempted to go after what looks on the surface to be very attractive, not realising or acknowledging there are all kinds of perils associated with what we’re coveting. Abraham looks around as well, and part of what he sees is barren, powder dry because of the recent drought. But when we look at what God wants us to see, and at what He is promising us, what seems unattractive will be the very best for us. When I consider that the first couple fell in Eden because of what they saw – the forbidden fruit – it makes me want to pray that God will help me to see straight, to see a doorway that He has opened for me rather than an ‘opportunity’ that looks inviting but leads to disaster. I want to see through eyes of wisdom and faith. And as we see from Abraham and Lot, that’s not just about saying no to what seems attractive but is not. It is also about saying yes to what seems like a desert, but may well turn out to be a lush orchard. Faith enables us to look at life in an entirely different way. Let’s look carefully before we leap, and ask God to help us to see straight. Prayer: Father, help me to see with eyes of faith and wisdom today. Amen.

WED 31 JUL

THE WAY WE ARE

READ Genesis 14:1-16 1 John 4:19-21

FOCUS Abram heard that Lot had been captured. So he called out his 318 trained men. Genesis 14:14

The Bible makes it clear any faith which does not affect the way we do relationships is not true faith at all. As we continue to think about our own faith trek in the light of Abraham’s life, we see doubt and scheming have profoundly damaged his relationships, allowing him to live in luxury while his wife struggles in the harem. Now, as scheming Lot gets himself in trouble and is carried off as a captive, we see the principle at work in the reverse. Abraham has rebuilt his altar, is calling on the name of the Lord once more – and the fruit of that restored faith is that, at huge personal risk, he seeks to rescue Lot. Even though the two had parted with some tension, Abraham leaps into action. Occasionally I meet people who are not so much holy, but really ‘holier than thou’. They sniff with disdain at other believers, confident in their own superiority, and happy to carp at the efforts of others while remaining passive spectators. They usually wreak havoc in local churches. But authentic faith will always be demonstrated in the way we treat others. We can’t love God and hate our brother, insists the apostle John, and James blasts a hole in the idea that faith can exist without good works. Perhaps it’s time to demonstrate true faith, not by the singing of another song, or attending another prayer meeting, but by being gracious, kind, and even self-sacrificing towards that person who is so gifted at irritating us. Prayer: Lord, You have been unendingly kind and loving towards me. Help me to pass that around, especially when I’m frustrated. Amen.

THU 01 AUG

HUMILITY

READ Genesis 14:17-20 1 John 2:15-17

FOCUS Melchizedek was the king of Jerusalem. He brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High. Genesis 14:18

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Success can ruin a person – I’ve seen it too many times. Even experiencing a little fame in the tiny goldfish bowl of the church can turn a head and a heart. I’ve met arrogant and pompous Christian leaders who have become intoxicated with power. And before anyone thinks that I’m sniping at others, let me confess that I have been conscious in my own life that a modicum of success can be ruinous. Success is as much a test as failure is. The shamed person is often humbled by the mess they’ve made, whereas the successful soul can become besotted with their own selfperceived brilliance. Abraham faces the test of being a victorious general in battle. His triumph brings him into contact with some of the local kings of Canaan, one of them being the mysterious Melchizedek. Scholars speculate endlessly about him. It seems he worshipped God, yet was most likely confused about God’s exact name and identity. In what seems to be an almost pluralistic approach to faith, Abraham blesses the man who blessed him, giving him a tenth of his possessions – a huge sum. It seems that Melchizedek’s ability to discern that Abraham’s success came from God above gave Abraham the confidence he truly was speaking truth from the Lord. God is often found in unexpected places. And Christianity is not the only religion to contain truth, although we serve a Jesus who insists that He is the only way. But truth from the Creator can be found all over creation. Prayer: When I do well, help me to remember the source of my success, and walk in humility before You, Mighty God. Amen.

FRI 02 AUG

DEAL OR NO DEAL

READ Genesis 14:21-24 Proverbs 3:1-10

FOCUS “I’ll accept only what my men have eaten and what belongs to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Those three men went with me. Let them have their share.” Genesis 14:24

We saw yesterday that Abraham was open to see God at work through the most unexpected people. But that doesn’t mean that he abandoned discernment. When another king, the defeated King of Sodom, offered a business arrangement that might have made sense, but did not recognise God as the source of Abraham’s success, the man of faith turned him down flat. Abraham wanted to live in a place of provision rather than shrewd dealing. As we’ll see, his failures were not over, and he would repeat some of his earlier, disastrous mistakes, but for now, he wants to live blessed by God and not enriched by yet another deal. It looks like he has learned some of the painful lessons from his time in Egypt, when he experienced great material gain, but at terrible cost, especially to his wife. And so, offered a ‘great’ deal, he said no. At one level, this defied logic. The king of Sodom was a defeated enemy, and had no right to bargain with Abraham or request anything for himself. And what Abraham had won in battle was now legally his as victor. But faith doesn’t always go by the most logical route, and Abraham had a greater concern – his testimony of God’s provision. We’re not called, as believers, to kiss our brains goodbye, do ridiculous things and always defy common sense. But there are times when discernment tells us that all that looks good is not so good. May God help us to say ‘deal’ – and also help us when it’s time to say, ‘no deal.’ Prayer: Father, grant me wisdom and discernment, and help me to know when to say ‘yes,’ and when to say ‘no.’ Amen. 35

WEEKEND 03 - 04 AUG

MORE ON ASKING

READ Genesis 15:1-20 James 4:1-3

We touched on this earlier, but I need to return to what is often a missing element in my prayers: asking. When we were children, many of us were told that it was rude to ask for things. As a result, hesitancy crept into our relationship with God, and we are reluctant to ask him for his intervention and blessings on us, fearing that doing so is selfish. Another issue can be misguided ‘prosperity gospel’ teaching, which falsely suggests we can simply ‘name and claim’ whatever we want. This idea almost turns God into our servant, and also presents a false view of true prosperity, which is about much more than material blessing. In fact, this teaching is an insult to the majority of the world where Christians suffer poverty. So we can react, pendulum-style, against these false ideas and back away from asking in prayer at all. But the late Dallas Willard rightly taught that request sits at the heart of all prayer. Scripture not only teaches us to ask, but rebukes us either for not asking or for making misdirected requests. Genesis 15 is one of the most important chapters in the Old Testament on prayer, because it teaches us so much about the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God whom we love and serve. But it also reveals a God who loves to promise, bless, and give. As we just overview that chapter in our reading today, let’s ask – are we good at asking, and is our vision of God still of the one who loves to bless us? To ponder: Are our prayers balanced, asking God for ourselves as well as others?

MON 05 AUG

REMEMBER

READ Genesis 15:1-7 Deuteronomy 8:1-11

FOCUS Some time later, Abram had a vision. The Lord said to him, “Abram, do not be afraid. I am like a shield to you. I am your very great reward.” Genesis 15:1

Despite having received the word of the Lord on a number of occasions, and having been blessed and helped already, Abraham still had times of fear. But God’s response to him was one of kindness rather than anger and impatience. The Lord was more than willing, not only to repeat what had already been promised, but to expand upon it, and then to illustrate and confirm the promises. Notice the language that God used, as He referred to himself as Abraham’s shield. This is a reference to the victory Abraham experienced, defeating the Canaanite kings. With carefully chosen words, God points Abraham back to a past victory, reminds him that He was the ultimate source of Abraham’s strength in battle. He reassures him in the present by pointing him back to the past. Looking through rose-coloured glasses at what was, can rob us of joy in the present. But pondering the past can also greatly strengthen our faith. Just recently I’ve revisited significant answers to prayers in days long gone, because these memories nudge me to believe once again for what God can do today. God has been my shield. God has taken care of my needs in a way that I can never have imagined. At any time, the opportunities and invitations to speak, write, and broadcast could have dried up. But as I ponder the journey, I realise what has happened has not just been the result of good planning, but is the blessing of the Lord. As I remember, I believe again. Prayer: Holy Spirit, bring memories of past blessings to my mind today, that I might find strength for my present and my future. Amen. 37

TUE 06 AUG

QUESTIONS AND SILENCES

READ Genesis 15:1-3 Psalm 10:1-18

FOCUS But Abram said, “Lord and King, what can you give me? I still don’t have any children.” Genesis 15:2

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We tend to read Abraham’s two-part question to God as one extended question. But some commentators don’t see it that way. They suggest Abraham posed one question, which was met with silence, and then he posed a secondary question, which God finally responded to. That’s often the way faith is. We ask, ‘how,’ or ‘why’? Abraham’s question was perfectly reasonable, because he had no family heir, only a valued servant in his household. And Abraham was somewhere between 75 and 86 years of age at this point and Sarah was ten years younger – hardly a couple who would anticipate a newborn! It must have seemed like he was living in the precise opposite of all that God has promised him: instead of a multitude of descendants, he had none. And then his question about that was met, not with a swift answer, but with what might have seemed like indifferent silence. I love it when God explains, but we’d do well to hesitate with our words when He doesn’t, and when we are tempted to rush in and speak for Him. What results are often hollow slogans rather than statements of truth. Faith calls us to live faithfully through the silence. We damage people when we try to fill in the blanks that God hasn’t filled in. Perhaps this is more than an item of vague interest to you today. Your heart is heavy because you have asked why, and no answer or explanation has been forthcoming. May you be strengthened to respond to God when He speaks, and trust Him when he doesn’t. Prayer: Lord, when You speak, help me to listen and respond. When You are silent, help me to trust. Amen.

WED 07 AUG

LONELY

READ Genesis 15:1-3 Psalm 68:1-6

FOCUS And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Genesis 15:3 (NIV)

Abraham isn’t just complaining: he is showing a vital truth here, that all the stuff in the world can’t replace loving relationships. He was materially wealthy, and he probably assumed God’s promise of reward meant that more ‘stuff’ was on the way. But he shows indifference to more material gain, because he still had no son and heir. Nothing could fill that gap. Applying that truth widely, let’s reaffirm that life is not about an abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). How many fabulously rich people have died in the isolated poverty of loneliness, because they were never sure who to trust? It seems that Abraham would have given up everything he had, if he could just have a child. Let’s not be so busy in pursuit of things that we neglect people. We are truly rich if we have friendships and relationships that survive the test of time. And this episode also points us to pray for those struggling with childlessness. As they try to celebrate when others are blessed with newborns and grandchildren, their hearts ache with an emptiness that nothing else can fill. Let’s be sensitive, and prayerful for them. May they know a gift of faith for a miracle, and a gift of faithfulness if the miracle doesn’t come. And pray for those who long for friendships but feel friendless; for those who would love to be married, but no partner appears. The pathway of loneliness is bleak. With care and prayer, we can bring warmth to those who travel it. Prayer: Bless those who long for children, for partners, for friends, Father. Place the lonely in families and communities of love. Amen. 39

THU 08 AUG

IMAGINE

READ Genesis 15:1-5 Ephesians 3:14-21

FOCUS “A son will come from your own body. He will get everything you own.” Genesis 15:4

4 5

Abraham was being tempted to accept what was humanly possible instead of living in what could happen as a result of God’s promise. So, to stir faith in his wavering servant, God used the night sky to illustrate what was going to happen in the future: Abraham would have more descendants than the stars in the heavens. As God invited Abraham not only to hear but also see, the Lord was stirring his imagination. In Bruce Chatwin’s The Songlines, an Irish priest describes the connection between faith and imagination: ‘Flynn has to be some kind of genius... but I don’t think he was ever a believer. He could never take the leap into faith. Didn’t have the imagination for it.’4 Imagination and faith are linked, because faith dreams about the impossible, ponders the unlikely and considers what might happen if the supernatural suddenly swoops into Monday morning. Years ago, J. B. Phillips wrote a book with a powerful and pithy title: Your God is too small.5 Abraham had a limited view of God’s abilities – and often, so do we. The huge distances and the lights above us speak of the incredible power and ability of our creator God. Just a few thousand stars are listed by astronomers, but it is estimated there are 100 billion more! God did not say Abraham would literally have that many descendants but there would be way too many to count. Perhaps it’s time for us to dream dreams again, especially if we find ourselves up against an impossible challenge. Prayer: Increase my faith, Father. Increase my understanding of You and Your mighty power, all-loving, Creator God. Amen.

Bruce Chatwin, The Songlines, (London: Picador, 1987), p.72 J. B. Phillips, Your God Is Too Small, (New York: Macmillan, 1961).

FRI 09 AUG

AMEN

READ Genesis 15:4-5 Luke 1:26-38

FOCUS The Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky. Count the stars, if you can.” Then he said to him, “That is how many children you will have.” Genesis 15:5

As we saw yesterday, imagination is a key part of faith. But there’s danger. Christianity is not about God becoming a genie in a bottle who offers Himself to fulfil our wildest dreams. That’s a key fallacy in faith/prosperity teaching, as we have seen. Instead, we’re invited to offer ourselves to God, so that He can fulfil His Kingdom dream in and through us. There’s a vital difference, and it’s illustrated in the dialogue between God and Abraham. The incredible plan that a man in his eighties would father children was God’s idea, a result of God’s initiative, and when we read that Abraham believed God, the word literally means ‘amen’. God spoke, and then Abraham responded by receiving and accepting the word of the Lord. Another way of translating this would be Abraham saying, ‘May it be so.’ God was not responding to a wild idea that Abraham came up with, but rather Abraham was accepting and responding to God’s plan and purpose. Like Mary the mother of Jesus, who was also given ‘impossible’ news, Abraham chose to have ongoing confidence in what God had announced. Some Christians abandon faith because God didn’t give them what they hoped and dreamed for. But that’s unfair, because we are indicting Him for not doing what He never promised to do. Let’s be open to God planting a seed of possibility in us – and be ready to say a sincere ‘amen’ if He does. Let’s give our lives to play our part in God’s Kingdom dream. Prayer: I make myself available to you today, Lord, to fulfil a part of Your kingdom dream through me. Amen.

WEEKEND 10 - 11 AUG

LIVING BY FAITH

READ Genesis 15:1-6 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

GOING DEEPER

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There is a term to describe people who rely on God for their financial needs, rather than receiving a salary: ‘living by faith.’ But it suggests some Christians have to live by faith, and others don’t. As we read that Abraham ‘believed’ the Lord, we need to pause, because this vitally important statement is repeated a number of times in the New Testament. Faith goes deep. It is not just our intellectually accepting a set of truths, nor a moment of emotion – a hunch. It isn’t just a statement that we declare: in this encounter, Abraham says nothing. True faith is nothing less than a revolution based on a revelation. Faith is a choice and then an ongoing series of choices that we make at the very core of our lives. Walter Brueggemann describes Abraham’s faith so powerfully, as life faith, when God’s word becomes ‘the voice around which his life is organised.’6 Christianity never works when it is just an additional compartment of our lives, or a Sunday-centred hobby. Following Jesus means we invite the ultimate disruption into our lives, overturning our habits, priorities, spending patterns, relationships, and hopes. That’s why taking up our cross, dying to self, and determining to live for and with Christ is a daily choice. It means pleasing God will be the first question we address when making decisions. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us to organise our lives around Jesus today. Living by faith is for us all. To ponder: What does it mean to have a life that is ‘organised’ around God’s Word and voice?

Walter Brueggemann, Genesis, ‘Interpretation’ (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982), p. 144.

MON 12 AUG

QUESTIONS

READ Genesis 15:1-8 Luke 1:5-25

FOCUS But Abram said, “Lord and King, how can I know I will take this land as my own?” Genesis 15:8

As we know, having faith doesn’t mean we don’t ask questions. Even as Abraham demonstrates faith, he comes up with yet another question. Sharp-eyed commentators have noticed that, in other cases, questions brought judgment, like in the case of Zechariah. When told of the coming birth of John the Baptist, his question brought a rebuke from an angel, and he was unable to speak until the child was born. So how is it that Abraham’s question was followed by an answer, and the blessing of a covenant? It’s most likely that Abraham questioned from a place of faith. Trusting that what God had promised would happen, he asked how it was going to take place, whereas Zechariah responded to great news of blessing with flat unbelief. There’s a nugget of truth here. I want to ask questions, not because I want to demolish or erode my faith, but out of a desire for a more mature, authentic faith. I don’t want to wrestle with the mysteries of life to banish God, but to know Him more. My faith has changed greatly over the years, because I’ve endeavoured to sort out truth from slogans. At times, asking questions has felt precarious, and still does. But truth can stand up to interrogation. As I question, I want to do so with an attitude of unbelief turning to true belief. To echo the prayer of another, ‘I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!’ (Mark 9:24). I am convinced that was the attitude behind Abraham’s question. Prayer: Grant me an authentic, resilient faith, Lord, and an ability to ask questions as an act of faith, to grow stronger in You, my faithful God. Amen. 43

TUES 13 AUG

GOD CAN BE TRUSTED

READ Genesis 15:1-21 1 John 1:5-10 FOCUS The sun set and darkness fell. Then a burning torch and a fire pot filled with smoke appeared. They passed between the pieces of the animals. Genesis 15:17

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It was my first day at Bible College. Our Old Testament lecturer, the brilliant Christopher Gornold-Smith, introduced the first session by taking us to Genesis 15, and this rather strange passage describing the ceremony God used to assure Abraham of His faithfulness. We might wonder what was behind such a grisly ceremony. But for Abraham, familiar with the customs of the day, it made perfect sense. If we had wanted to enter into an agreement then, we would follow the same pattern. The animals would be killed and arranged, and then each of us would pass between them, making our pledges to each other. The symbolism was horrifyingly obvious: we would be saying, ‘May I be torn apart, just like these creatures, if I break my word to you. I’d rather die a horrible death than be unfaithful.’ Remarkable though it is, God was saying exactly that to Abraham. God would be ripped apart before He could break His covenant promises. Note Abraham was not required to pass between the pieces of animal – this covenant was made at God’s initiative alone, and He would keep His word. Faith only makes sense if the one in whom we place our faith is trustworthy. That’s why Mr. Gornold-Smith began our college experience by taking us to the strange lane of blood. As we began our adventure into ministry, we had to know God is totally reliable, His presence and power are assured, and His ongoing grace would be steadfast. Let’s trust His unshakable word today. Prayer: You are faithful Lord. I can place my trust in you willingly and with confidence today. Amen.

WED 14 AUG

CHASING THE BIRDS

READ Genesis 15:1-21 1 Peter 5:7

FOCUS Then large birds came down to eat the dead bodies of the animals and birds. But Abram chased the large birds away. Genesis 15:11

Let’s ponder for a moment the rather strange image of Abraham having to guard those animal and bird carcasses, as the birds of prey were attracted to the scent of supper. Some writers see prophetic symbolism in Abraham having to act like a sentry and drive them away, because these carrion birds would have spoken to Abraham of the Egyptian falcon god Horus, a carrion-eating bird. Perhaps here was a hint that Abraham’s descendants would be mistreated and abused by the Egyptians, but they in turn would be swallowed up by a greater power. But perhaps there’s a simpler way to look at this. While God breaks in at times, we all do faith in the midst of daily difficulties, and injustices. God promises to be with us and be faithful to us, but as we understand that, we still have to deal with the bothersome side of life – like driving away winged marauders, as Abraham did. God is with us always, but we aren’t spared daily frustrations. May we, as we walk with God – maybe through lingering problems and difficulties – know a greater gift of faith today. He will be faithful to us. And He promises us He deeply cares for us, and always will. The Psalmist not only celebrates God’s care, but points us to the truth that He also sustains us when life is hard: ‘Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you’ (Psa. 55:22, NIV). May we respond with faith towards Him, this very day – even if those pesky birds are circling again. Prayer: Lord, may I be faithful to You when life is wonderful, and when it really isn’t. Amen. 45

THU 15 AUG

GOD’S BIG PLAN

READ Genesis 15:13-16 1 Samuel 8:1-22

FOCUS But I will punish the nation that makes them slaves. After that, they will leave with all kinds of valuable things. Genesis 15:14

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Some readers will disagree, but here goes: God is not totally in control. Sometimes, in affirming the sovereignty of God, we conclude that God wills everything that happens: it was all part of His overall purpose. I don’t believe it. The abuse of children, people being beheaded by terrorists, and a host of other unspeakable evils are not God’s will or plan. Nor are our bad choices the result of God being a cosmic puppet master, controlling everything. If the will of God is always being done, why are we taught to pray, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done’? So do we live in a chaotic world? On the contrary. Ultimately, God is working towards a big plan. As we pray and serve, we can see the Kingdom – the rule of God – breaking in. God is a redeemer, so He is able to take even the sinful human choices and turn them for good. As Israel’s decision to insist on having a human king demonstrates – they were being rebellious, but ultimately God would give them David and Solomon, great and good kings. This tension of free will and sovereignty is seen in Abraham’s story. He is told his people will suffer for four hundred years, but then God reveals He will punish those who oppress His people. They are going to be held fully accountable for their actions, because they make decisions freely. Let’s not blame God for evil in the world, as if it’s His choice. His choice is that we be agents of His good, peaceful Kingdom rule. Prayer: Lord God, let Your kingdom come, and let Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen.

FRI 16 AUG

A QUIET LIFE

READ Genesis 15:15-17 Genesis 25:8

FOCUS But you will die in peace. You will join the members of your family who have already died. You will be buried when you are very old. Genesis 15:15

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Despite the four hundred year ‘gap’ that Abraham’s descendants would experience, Abraham himself was promised a long life, and a peaceful end. Abraham is the only one of the patriarchs promised such an ending. I mentioned yesterday in Going Deeper that our headlines are dominated by rumours and reports of war, and images of terrible bloodshed. Assaulted by such terrible news every day, and compelled to pray and speak out on behalf of the oppressed and persecuted, we realise just how precious a peaceful existence is. Living a ‘quiet life’ might seem unexciting and even boring in our experience-hungry, thrill-seeking culture. But for many around the world, the simple ability to work, worship, share family and church life – these are unachievable, and we should not take them for granted. That’s why we’re told to pray for those in authority, that they will have wisdom, so that we will be able to live out our lives in shalom. This is a rich word that describes life when we are at peace with God, our neighbours, our environment, and ourselves (1 Tim. 2:2). Abraham was materially rich, but here he is promised something far more precious – peace. As we see from Genesis 25, the promise was fulfilled, as Abraham lived to the great age of 175. To live and to die peacefully – this is a blessing. Let’s be thankful when life is quiet and peaceful, and pray for a 'quiet life’ for those who desperately need it. Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the freedom to live quietly for You, without fear. Bless those for whom the life of faith is one of tension. Amen. 47

WEEKEND 17-18 AUG

LAND AND MODERN ISRAEL

READ Genesis 15:18-21 Micah 6:1-8

Mentioning the place of Israel in my writing, preaching, or broadcasting usually prompts a reaction. Some, rightly, get very concerned about Israel’s foreign policy, especially in their current conflict with Gaza. It is a scandal that a wall twice the size of the Berlin Wall still surrounds Bethlehem. Many of our brothers and sisters in the Palestinian territories feel abandoned when the church in the West follows an unthinking ‘bless Israel’ policy. Others want to see more total support for Israel. Recently I was asked if I supported Israel’s actions wholeheartedly. I don’t, because God doesn’t. Throughout the years, He has sent prophets to castigate them for their backsliding and acts of injustice. God doesn’t offer a blanket endorsement of everything that Israel does. But all that said, God promised land to Abraham’s descendants – and the ownership of that land continues to be a focus of conflict in the Middle East. A number of lessons emerge here. First, just because God promises something, it may still be a source of confusion and even conflict. When we come to issues in the modern Middle East, let’s think broadly, and realise that the God who made promises also called for human rights to be respected. Finally, in such a contentious issue as considering the significance of Israel in God’s plans today, let’s have a conversation, rather than add to the conflict with yet more harsh words. To ponder: Why do some Christians take the view that unthinking support for modern Israel is a biblical stance?

MON 19 AUG

WHEN GOD ISN’T SPECIFIC

READ Genesis 16:1-2 Proverbs 24:9-22

FOCUS “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go and make love to my servant. Maybe I can have a family through her.” Genesis 16:2

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Ten years is a long time to wait for a baby – especially when you’re nearly 75! Even though Sarah is commended in the New Testament for her faith and fearlessness (1 Pet. 3:6), she certainly succumbed to fear, leading to her disastrous plan to ‘help God’ to fulfil His promise. So why did she do it, apart from panic? One thought is that she had not been specifically named as the mother when God promised Abraham he would father an heir. And so perhaps she assumed, from that omission, that an arranged liaison with a surrogate mother would be appropriate. There are certainly times when I wish that God would be more specific in His Word. Sometimes we rush to say, ‘the Bible says,’ but we are unsure as to what it means, and a little more clarity would be helpful. Nor does this tension apply simply to what Scripture does or does not say. To be honest, as I mentioned earlier, there are times when I wish God would be a little more talkative when it comes to decision-making, guidance, or other personal issues. I know some will say I need to learn to listen more, and they may be right. But even so, let’s be aware there are gaps in what we do know of God’s heart and will, and we do well not to try to fill them in for Him. Sometimes faith is not just obeying what God has said, but trusting Him when He hasn't spoken, or His voice seems unclear. Our own bright ideas are often not so bright, as we’ll see. Prayer: Save me, Lord, from decisions that seem to lead to the right way, but could end in disaster. Grant me wisdom. Amen. 49

TUE 20 AUG

A RAVE REVIEW

READ Genesis 16:1-3 Romans 4:18-25

FOCUS After he had been living in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai gave him her servant Hagar to be his wife. Genesis 16:3

Before we continue, let’s pause for a moment. We’ve already seen the Bible celebrates Abraham’s faith, and does not accentuate his failures. But as Abraham quietly agrees to Sarah’s disastrous plan, let’s realise God had promised him miraculous blessing, and a liaison with Hagar would hardly fulfil that promise. Though Sarah had not received a major encounter with the covenant-cutting God, Abraham had. But he still acquiesced to this scheme. Yet when we look at what Paul says of Abraham in Romans 4, it’s a positive picture. I’m encouraged as I ponder his dismal performance, (and the New Testament’s rave review) because it shows that faith – even great, Bible-celebrated faith – is not a steady consistent climb. It includes unbelief, bewilderment, failure, doubt, and fear. I wish it were different. I’d like to make steady, measurable progress, never having to relearn the lessons of my failures. I’d like there to be a graph showing a line edging consistently upwards as I move on. But it’s not like that for me, or probably, anybody. Abraham is not alone in his two steps forward/three steps back trek. All of the greats of the Bible experienced something similar. What matters is not if and when we fail, but if we will get up again, and continue the journey. And just as it was with Abraham, one day we might well discover that when our stories are told, God highlights our triumphs and doesn’t feel the need to accentuate our failures. Prayer: Sometimes, Lord, I fear You ignore my successes and focus on my failures. Help me to see Your loving kindness. Amen.

WED 21 AUG

CONFLICT

READ Genesis 16:4-5 Proverbs 17:14

FOCUS Then Sarai said to Abram, “It’s your fault that I’m suffering like this. I put my servant in your arms... May the Lord judge between you and me.” Genesis 16:5

It’s not hard to imagine the scene. In a culture where childlessness was considered a curse, Hagar managed to get pregnant, but Sarah hadn’t. Now tension crackled in the household as the slave girl looked down on her mistress. It was a recipe for a domestic explosion, and sure enough, conflict ignited, as Sarah blames Abraham for the untenable triangle they were all in. Whether it’s marital conflict, family worries, or other everyday issues creating anxiety, life brings problems, large and small. But here, Sarah, and then Abraham, teach us how not to respond in a crisis. If we want to make things worse, first, we need to forget our own parts in problems. Sarah conveniently forgets surrogacy was her idea. She blames others entirely for what has happened. Despite having agreed, it wasn’t all Abraham’s fault. And then throw in a little religiously manipulative language to escalate the conflict: Sarah calls upon the Lord to vindicate her – hardly the best language in a family feud! Conflicts are not only natural but can be a sign of health in a relationship. Whether it’s in a friendship, a marriage, or a church, we should be nervous when people are not allowed to disagree: an unhealthy manipulative marriage or friendship is developing. If God’s judgement is swiftly called down upon dissenters, look out – a cult is forming. But when we disagree, let’s do so agreeably, and seek ultimate peace rather than victory or point-scoring. Prayer: Father, when I find myself in conflict, help me to disagree agreeably. Amen. 51

THU 22 AUG

SEEING PEOPLE

READ Genesis 16:1-6 Luke 19:1-10 FOCUS “Your servant belongs to you,” Abram said. “Do with her what you think is best.” Then Sarai treated Hagar badly. So Hagar ran away from her. Genesis 16:6

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Taken aback by Sarah’s tirade, Abraham shrugs, refusing to show much concern for either woman. Neither Abraham nor Sarah refer to Hagar by name: she is simply an object used for their purpose, and then discarded. Ancient custom meant that, if a concubine claimed status because she had borne her master a child, the mistress of the household, (in this case, Sarah) could demote her to her previous status as a slave. Abraham showed no concern for Hagar: she had served his purpose, and now he abdicated all responsibility for her to Sarah. What has any of this to do with us? We too can fail to see people. Unique human beings with stories and wounds, flaws and brilliance, pass us every day, but we don’t notice them as people, especially if we often work with them. Employees in retail shops don’t notice the harassed Mum on the edge of tears as she tries to get a decent pair of school shoes at a reasonable price. The doctor doesn’t know that ‘the heart attack in cubicle 6’, is a war veteran who recently lost his wife of 60 years; the pastor doesn’t see a family of congregants, but a singing, giving, and sometimes complaining crowd. We can forget that real people, with hopes and dreams just like ours, are being treated terribly. Today, let’s make a special effort to notice. Jesus saw and named people who others ignored. Use that person’s name, if you know it. The God who we serve cares deeply for the marginalised and ignored, as we’ll see tomorrow. Prayer: Loving father, in the busyness and demands of life today, help me to notice. Amen.

FRI 23 AUG

WHERE ARE WE?

READ Genesis 16:7-9 1 Kings 19:1-9

FOCUS Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to the woman who owns you. Obey her.” Genesis 16:9

Angels specialise in rescuing weary, rejected people. This is the first time the term ‘angel of the Lord’ appears in the Old Testament (it occurs 48 times), and as Hagar has now become a fugitive, the angel draws near with some penetrating questions and amazing promises. Before we consider the promise given to Hagar, let’s see that the angel brought a solid reality check, addressing her by name and occupation. Whatever she had aspired to be in Abraham’s household, Hagar was reminded she was Sarah’s servant. In our faith treks, an ability to honestly face up to where we are, with a sober understanding of our strengths and weaknesses, is vital. We cannot go forward if we are in denial about our current position, and an understanding of our own personal histories can help us make sense of ourselves today. Then Hagar is instructed to return to the household from which she had fled. In the church, we often talk excitedly about moving forward into new opportunities, willing to trust God in unfamiliar territory. But it takes grace to stay as well as to go – sometimes more so, because it might be easier to move on, with all the freshness and excitement it can bring. Just as Hagar was called to go back, so was the prophet, Elijah. Today, let’s consider who we are, where we’ve been, and if God is asking us to dig in and remain faithful and stay. If so, let’s be willing to obey, even if the grass looks greener elsewhere. Prayer: Lord, give me wisdom to know where I’ve been and where I am, and grace to know when to stay, and when to go. Amen.

WEEKEND 24-25 AUG

GOD HEARS US

God listens. Without that knowledge, prayer becomes a vacuous religious duty, rather than an act of faith in the One who listens. As Hagar receives the astonishing promise of descendants too numerous to count, God tells her to name her son ‘Ishmael’. The word means, ‘The God who hears.’ That promise would have stunned her. One moment, she was a shunned fugitive, on the run, and now the truth she has a place in the great purposes of God begins to dawn upon her. All because God heard her cry. It’s time to be brutally honest again about prayer and God’s voice. In any human relationship, we know we are being heard by acknowledgement – the person that we are conversing with nods their head, shares a comment, offers an immediate opinion. But in our relationship with God, that obvious acknowledgment is often missing. We talk to One whom we can’t see, touch, and most of the time, hear. That takes faith. But the lack of immediate acknowledgment does not mean our prayers are not heard.

READ Genesis 16:10-12 Hebrews 5:7-10

And when the answer does not come as we want (despite the incredible promise, Hagar still had to head back to the house of conflict) that doesn’t necessarily mean our prayers are unanswered: they are just not being answered in the way we’d like. Jesus made His requests in Gethsemane, but didn’t receive what He asked for: that doesn’t mean He was unheard, as Hebrews makes clear. Let’s pray today. Our voices, however timid and wavering, will be heard. To ponder: Can you think of a time when prayer was not answered in the way you wanted, but what did happen turned out for the best?

MON 26 AUG

GOD SEES US

READ Genesis 16:13-14 Psalm 139:1-24

FOCUS She gave a name to the Lord who spoke to her. She called him “You are the God who sees me.” That’s because she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16:13

It’s one of those statements many of us heard in childhood, especially when being naughty: ‘God is watching, you know.’ The idea of an all-seeing God was used to prevent our bad behaviour. God was watching, God was taking account, and ultimately, God would punish. But in this story, Hagar celebrates the God who, as we saw yesterday, not only hears her cry of anguish, but sees her as well. To return to thoughts of our years as children, we remember that one of the primary needs that children have is to be seen, and noticed. When we learn to ride a bike, sing a song, or successfully pass our exams, we want those who love us to see what we’ve done. We all have a deep need to be noticed. Thankfully, the misguided adage ‘children are to be seen but not heard’ does not apply to God’s parenting of us. He hears our cries, and He sees our lives, watching over us. Admittedly, sometimes that’s difficult to believe, especially when life gets uncomfortable or tragic. God sees all, but yet He sees me, and you. Rather than being alone and abandoned, we are noticed. It’s important that we know this, which is why Jesus made it so clear in the great Sermon on the Mount (Matt 6:26). And an old song celebrates the truth, and it’s more than sentimentality: ‘His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.’ Let’s consider that today: that which we fear, God sees. And He sees what we cannot see, but worry about as well. Prayer: Loving God, this I declare by faith: You are the God who sees me, today, now. Amen. 55

TUE 27 AUG

GOD LOVES ALL

READ Genesis 16:15-16 John 3:1-21

FOCUS Abram was 86 years old when Hagar had Ishmael by him. Genesis 16:16

Before we move on from this episode of convoluted relationships, let’s ponder the truth that God was establishing a covenant with Abraham, the creation of a beacon people called to be a blessing to the earth. They were God’s chosen, elect people, not selected because they were better than anyone else, but appointed to a task by a generous God. This was important business, this establishing of the Abrahamic covenant. But in the midst of the story, and even in the mess that Abraham and Sarah had created, God reached out to a woman who, together with her son and all of his many descendants, would be blessed. She would not, however, be part of the covenant established with Abraham. The angel pursued a woman who, in stark terms, was an outsider. In rightly emphasising God’s love for his people, for his church, we can forget that God so loved the world that He sent His son. That rude neighbour, that gossiping person around the corner, that drug dealer in the shadows – God loves and cares deeply for each one. Let’s push it further, to a truth that we know but need to be reminded of. Images of blackgarbed terrorists, cowards bearing down on captors and then beheading them: God loves these people, however vile and twisted their behaviour. Let’s pray for justice, so that evil perpetrators will be stopped; and let’s pray that some of those who are so horribly hateful will discover they are dearly loved by Christ. Prayer: You love all, Lord, including those who I find difficult to love, and am even tempted to hate. Show love in unlikely places today. And use me. Amen.

WED 28 AUG

MIND THE GAP

READ Genesis 17:1-27 Deuteronomy 10:12-22

FOCUS When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.” Genesis 17:1 (NIV)

In these notes, I have written frequently about those seasons when God seems inactive and quiet, and I’m not just talking days. For Abraham, 13 years had passed since Ishmael’s birth – Hagar’s boy was growing up fast. Sarah was now 89, and no less than 23 years had passed since God had first made the promise of a son and heir. There must have been some very difficult days, not only in the household, but in Abraham’s heart. Had he imagined God had made this promise? As years pass by, our greatest experiences in faith can fade – we’re tempted to ask if they ever happened at all. We can put answers to prayer down to either imagination or coincidence, especially when we feel God has pledged something to us, but there are no signs of it being fulfilled. There’s always a gap between promise and fulfilment, and minding that gap isn’t easy. So what could God say now to encourage Abraham? The Lord speaks once again, this time introducing Himself as El Shaddai, the first time in the Bible this term, which means ‘God Almighty’, is used. What Abraham needs to know is that God is all-powerful, able to perform the impossible – including a pregnancy for a woman in her late eighties! When we live in the gap, let’s reaffirm God’s might and power. That truth eludes me at times, especially when loved ones succumb to disease, or other tragedies go unchecked. God is the powerful One. God Almighty. It’s the truth, not a phrase to use as a swearword. Prayer: Today, may I be strong in You, mighty God, and stand firm in Your mighty power. Amen. 57

THU 29 AUG

I WILL

READ Genesis 17:1-9 Ephesians 3:14-21

FOCUS “I will give you many children. Nations will come from you. And kings will come from you.” Genesis 17:6

It was a phrase that went around the church a while ago, and I was nervous about it: ‘Let go and let God.’ It seemed too passive; we are fellow workers in Christ, and some of us don’t need to let go and leave it up to God, we need to get on with the hard work of the Kingdom. That message has its dangers too. We end up with an exhausting, try-harder faith, bombarded by ‘oughts’, ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’, and God seems to be a relentless, never-satisfied taskmaster. Success or failure in life becomes only about what we do. In this covenant renewal with Abraham, notice how many times God says, ‘I will.’ God takes responsibility for making Abraham fruitful, a father of many nations, a conduit from which kings would come. God would make the covenant everlasting, give him the promised land, and would be their God. All of this is pledged even as Sarah is getting even older, and, naturally speaking, a pregnancy is becoming ever more impossible. Abraham was a rich man, but he was a tent dweller living in the middle of nowhere. Now he hears that he will be used to produce royalty. But incredible though that must have seemed, the promise would be fulfilled (albeit a millennium later) with the beginning of David’s reign, and then ultimately as King Jesus comes from Abraham’s lineage. Our faith is not founded just on what we do, but what Christ can and will do, in and through us. And so, in that qualified sense, go ahead – let go and let God. Prayer: Thank You that Your Holy Spirit is at work powerfully in me today. I let go of self-sufficiency. Work in and through me, Father. Amen.

FRI 30 AUG

IDENTITY

READ Genesis 17:10-14 Luke 4:1-13

FOCUS “Here is my covenant that you and your children after you must keep. Every male among you must be circumcised.” Genesis 17:10

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Considering that male circumcision was commanded before anaesthetics were invented, it was a radical demand. But this strange act was a sign of the covenant, placed in a very intimate and private part of the body. This would serve as a daily reminder of identity; that Abraham was in covenant relationship with God, and so would be all those descendants who followed him. Circumcision was not invented here – the Egyptians had been practising it for centuries – but now it took on special significance. Circumcision was a sign of covenant, and God’s covenant with Abraham affirmed a breathtaking, epic identity for him. Our identity matters. Often, we think that everyday holiness is about doing the right things, but our sins usually begin when we drift away from our identity in Christ – we forget who and whose we are, and then we forget the implications of that knowledge. Elsewhere in Scripture, God insists we are a holy people – we are not our own, our lives are not our property: we were bought with an enormous price. For Abraham, circumcision was a sign or reminder of the truth that his life was now in God’s hands, effectively as God’s own possession. Jesus had His identity affirmed by the Father (Luke 3) and then undermined and questioned by Satan (Luke 4). He used Scripture to remind Himself and His tormentor of the truth of His identity. There will always be warfare around the issue of who we are in Christ. Our identity matters. Prayer: Lord, I belong to You. By grace, I am in Christ. Help me to live in the good of my identity today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 59

WEEKEND 31 AUG - 01 SEPT

HAVING A LAUGH

READ Genesis 17:1-22 Genesis 18:11-15

It usually happens quite unexpectedly, at least to me. Like a mugging, I am suddenly assaulted by a sense that everything that I believe about God is not only slightly implausible, it’s laugh-out-loud ridiculous. Perhaps something similar happens to you occasionally. Don’t fret. It’s normal. Abraham, the man who, as we’ve seen, is celebrated in the Bible as such a great hero of faith, demonstrated a similar reaction. As he pondered the renewed promise of God – that Sarah would bear a child at the ripe of old age of 90, and he would become a father at the age of 100 (when people get a telegram from Buckingham Palace, and not one announcing an upcoming birth) he worshipped and giggled at the same time – falling down and laughing. There’s another incident of laughter later in the story (from Sarah), and on that occasion there was a rebuke. But here, there’s no stern word for Abraham. It seems that Abraham’s laugh came from a sense of temporary incredulity and amazement, but perhaps Sarah’s laughter came from a heart set on unbelief. Let’s not fear moments and flashes of doubt. Fleeting thoughts and emotions are not what counts. What matters is not what we think in a moment, but how we establish ourselves in our lives. And if we are asking God to do something so outrageous that the thought of it occasionally makes us laugh out loud, let’s relax. We’re in good company with Abraham. To ponder: Are you living with a situation that repeatedly mocks your faith? How do you deal with that?

MON 02 SEPT

PAINFUL OBEDIENCE

READ Genesis 17:23-27 John 2:1-12

FOCUS On that very day Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael. He also circumcised every male... He did exactly as God had told him. Genesis 17:23

At the risk of sounding indelicate (and repetitive) let me say this: circumcision is painful. And it wasn’t just Abraham who had to undergo the surgery; his household, and then their male descendants would all have to undergo this. We’ve seen that circumcision was a radical sign of an amazing covenant promise – but that doesn’t mean the procedure was any less unpleasant. Yet Abraham obeyed, and he followed through ‘that very day.’ The writer emphasises the speed of his response, and the fact he did what he did because he was under clear orders from the Lord: it was, ‘as God had told him.’ Frankly, there are often times when we don’t feel like doing what we know is right, which makes life difficult, especially when we’re surrounded by people who do what they please, and enjoy that freedom. Our temptation is often to quietly disobey, but a more subtle deception may enter our lives: we delay our response. It’s not that we say ‘No’ to God. Rather, we whisper a quiet ‘Not yet...’ which amounts to the same thing. Mary said of Jesus at the famous wedding of Cana, ‘Do what he tells you.’ The servants responded instantly, and water was turned into wine. And Jesus taught that obedience is the authentic sign of our love for him; whatever our enthusiasm in worship, the test of our commitment to Christ is our swift obedience to Him. If we’re struggling with a painful choice to obey, may God give us grace to follow through. Prayer: Lord, when the call is difficult, painful even, help me to not only respond, but respond quickly, to whatever You say. Amen. 61

TUE 03 SEPT

HOSPITALITY

READ Genesis 18:1-6 Psalm 23:3-6 FOCUS Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly left the entrance to his tent to meet them. He bowed low to the ground. Genesis 18:2

GOING DEEPER

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Yet another enormously significant encounter is about to take place, as for the second time Abraham and the newly named Sarah hear there is now a timeline for the impossible birth to come – within a year. Three men arrive at their tent. Huge speculation surrounds the identity of these visitors; some say these three were angels, while others suggest one of the visitors was God Himself, the most likely explanation. Imagine what it would feel like if God invited Himself to dinner at your house. It’s a thought that’s almost impossible to ponder, but you’d probably expect a grand entrance from your guest, and a heart-turning display of power as He sat at your table. But initially, they didn’t know it. Abraham’s bowing welcome was the customary politeness shown to any human visitor. In short, God came in such an ordinary way. Abraham and Sarah hastily fulfilled their cultural responsibilities. In those days, hosts were expected to provide food, shelter, and physical protection for their guests and their guests' animals. Jesus offered hospitality to the crowds in providing them with food, and washing the disciples’ feet. He was unhappy when hospitality was not provided for Him, rebuking a Pharisee for his lack of welcome. Whether it’s offering meals, overnight accommodation, or just time with others who visit our homes, let’s be generous and thoughtful. Who knows? We might be entertaining angels without being aware of it (Heb. 13:2). Prayer: Father, recognising that You are the provider of all that I have, help me to be generous with what I have. Amen.

WED 04 SEPT

CYNICISM

READ Genesis 18:1-12 Romans 4:18-25

FOCUS So she laughed to herself. She thought, “I’m worn out, and my husband is old. Can I really know the joy of having a baby?” Genesis 18:12

GOING DEEPER

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I’m glad the Bible doesn’t attempt to gloss over the weaknesses of the great heroes of faith. Abraham was not perfect, but a real human being just like us, with flaws. And that’s true of Sarah, who laughed to herself at the thought of pregnancy at the age of 90 (I’d react too if I discovered I was going to be a parent again as an OAP, but I don’t think the reaction would be laughter). Abraham had laughed at the thought of his elderly wife giving birth, but as I mentioned earlier, while Sarah was rebuked for her laughter, Abraham was not. Why is that? Perhaps it’s because Sarah’s laughter seemed almost derisory, born out of cynicism. It seems she could only think in human, limited terms, and perhaps couldn’t believe sex at their age would be possible, never mind pleasurable. It seems cynicism was driving her response. I fear cynicism. I don’t want to kiss my brains goodbye and believe every report of spectacular healing or new outbreak of revival. The Bible commands us to ‘prove all things, and hold fast to what is good’ (1 Thess. 5:21). But neither do I want to develop a sneering, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ cynicism that blinds me to the possibilities of the impossible. Wonderfully, Sarah’s unhelpful response led to one of the most profound statements in the Bible: ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord?’ That’s a good question for us to pose and ponder, even as we consider the challenges of today. Prayer: Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the impossible is still possible, Lord. Help me believe: help my unbelief. Amen.

THU 05 SEPT

GRACE IN OUR WEAKNESS

READ Genesis 18:10-15 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

FOCUS Sarah was afraid. So she lied and said, “I didn’t laugh.” But the Lord said, “Yes, you laughed.” Genesis 18:15

Some teaching about faith actually overwhelms and discourages me, especially preachers who turn the walk of faith into a complex and demanding formula. The suggestion is that if I don’t pray in a certain way, taking the right steps and decisions, then my prayers, and my life of faith in general will be ineffective. But the dialogue between Sarah and the Lord is wonderfully liberating. As we saw yesterday, Sarah laughed cynically, and seemed unable to look past what could naturally happen. Perhaps Abraham had not told her all God had previously promised, or maybe she had not believed him, and then she made things even worse by denying she’d laughed. Commentators note her laugh was ‘to herself’ – an inner chuckle – but God knew her heart. She was unwilling to be honest about her faithless response. Embarrassed by our failures, we can be prone to cover them up. But despite all this, God blessed her with Isaac anyway, and even named him playfully – ‘Isaac’ means ‘laughter’. In a sense, God had the last laugh – but it was the laughter that accompanies blessing, not derision. Abraham and Sarah’s story shows us not only God’s power to bless, but His character as He blesses. I’m glad that God’s blessing doesn’t depend on my responses to His promises. That doesn’t give us an excuse for passivity, but it does mean grace can cover our shortcomings, and God can bless us despite our faithlessness. In our weaknesses, He is strong. That’s a relief. Prayer: I’m grateful for the knowledge that You will be strong even in the midst of my weaknesses, Father. I lean hard on You today. Amen.

FRI 06 SEPT

PARTNERS

READ Genesis 18:16-33 Luke 13:1-5

FOCUS Then Abraham came up to him. He said, “Will you sweep away godly people along with those who are evil?” Genesis 18:23

GOING DEEPER

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At first glance, prayer is a mystery. Why would God want to bother with asking us to ask? Why can’t He just swoop in, totally independent of our prayers, and do what needs to be done? The dialogue between God and Abraham can help. Abraham had been promised he would be a channel of blessing. But blessing creates responsibility. Now, he is invited into the partnership of prayer. For whatever reason, God has determined to largely entwine Himself with the actions and prayers of his people. And so, Abraham begins a round of bargaining with God. Once again, we see that prayer is always flawed. Abraham assumed the righteous should not suffer alongside the ungodly – and Sodom was certainly a city filled with evil. We usually associate Sodom and Gomorrah with sexual sin, but the cries of the poor and oppressed had gone up to the God who is not only concerned about personal sexual morality, but injustice against the oppressed. Abraham was wrong. Those who are not guilty of grievous sin suffer alongside the wicked, as Jesus clearly taught (Luke 13:4-5). But in his faulty thinking Abraham was heard. Prayer is a cry to God: it’s not about crafting a perfectly correct petition. And God appeared to be willing to change His mind, if He found just one righteous person in the place: but it was not to be. Prayer remains something of a mystery to me, but this much I know: we have been invited into a real partnership with God. Let’s pray today. Prayer: Lord, You have called me into a partnership of prayer. Help me to pray, not only out of duty, but with hope and expectation. Amen. 65

WEEKEND 07- 08 SEPT

THE TRUTH ABOUT US

There are some passages in the Bible that I can hardly stand to read, and this is certainly one of them. As angels visit Lot, and then a group of men gather in an attempt to gang rape, we see the dreadful depravity that prevailed in the city. And Lot’s offer of his own daughters just blows a fuse in my heart and mind – how any man could offer his own daughters to such abuse is beyond me. As we’ll see tomorrow, Lot is described as ‘righteous’ in the New Testament, but he seems anything but righteous to me! While I appreciate all of this must be read in the light of the then cultural demands of hospitality, the episode is still utterly sickening. We see the sad truth about humanity, and the depths of depravity of which human beings are capable. When we read about these terrible acts and attitudes, or consider some of the appalling news headlines that have assaulted us over recent months, we realise human beings are not instinctively good. It might pain us to admit it, but we too are capable of great evil, given the chance, temptation, or the right pressure. All have sinned. It’s endemic in humanity.

READ Genesis 19:1-11 Romans 3:21-24

Sometimes we wonder why God allows such evil to prevail in the world, but as we look around, and look back at episodes like this, we must be grateful He did not choose to end the human race totally and begin all over again. Instead, he chose to rescue people like Lot, people like us, and whoever would call for His help. To ponder: ‘We too are capable of great evil, given the chance, temptation, or the right pressure’ – do we agree with that assessment of ourselves?

MON 09 SEPT

‘RIGHTEOUS’ LOT

READ Genesis 19:1-11 2 Peter 2:1-22

FOCUS But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. Genesis 19:10

Lot is a portrait of conflict. Even though he had experienced life as part of Abraham’s wider family and entourage, he was obviously drawn to the ‘bright lights’ of Sodom. Perhaps it’s not an accident to read Lot moved his tent ‘near Sodom’ (Gen. 13:12), and then is described as ‘living in Sodom’ (Gen. 14:12), before being pictured ‘sitting near the gate of Sodom’ (Gen. 19:1). It seems that even though Lot was considered an outsider (as the derisory comments of the would-be rapists affirmed) nevertheless he had made his home there. Peter, in the New Testament, describes the conflict that raged in Lot, as he saw such depravity on a daily basis, but lived in the middle of it. Even though Peter describes Lot as ‘righteous’, surely this is a comparative term – his righteousness was tainted, and he is only virtuous in comparison with the hideous behaviour of his fellow citizens. One commentator remarks Lot has got himself into Sodom, and Sodom had got into him. Although Lot had some scruples, it seems he was tormented by the terrible sights of the city every day and his own compromises. Certainly, his appalling decision to offer his daughters to a group of gang rapists suggests that he was allowing his thinking to be shaped more by his culture rather than by faith or even good common sense and fatherly care. Everything about Sodom was wrong. The crowd can be wrong, and often are. We’re called to march to a different drumbeat. Prayer: Lord, conform me to Your image, and not to the image of any negative culture and values of the world in which I live. Amen. 67

TUE 10 SEPT

WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE?

READ Genesis 19:1-11 John 14:1-7

FOCUS They said, “This fellow came here as an outsider. Now he wants to act like a judge!” Genesis 19:9

It’s not popular to call sin what it is – sin. We’re living in a culture that insists relativism is the only thing to believe: the idea that truth is relative, and there is no such thing as absolute truth. This idea is, of course, a statement that claims absolute truth! In a culture where tolerance is revered and even worshipped, the only thing that won’t be tolerated is intolerance! And so, when a Christian makes absolute truth claims about Jesus, or about what following Him and doing right looks like according to Scripture, they are quickly thought of as narrow. All of this stifles genuine debate. Academics often complain it’s almost impossible to get a healthy discussion going in the classroom, because every time someone expresses an unpopular conviction, they are called an intolerant bigot, and the conversation is closed down. We might think this is a new issue in a postmodern world which has lost its grip on any core story, but an unhealthy insistence on tolerance is as old as humanity. As Lot stammered out his belief that to rape his house guests was out of order, he was accused of wanting to act like a judge. We’re not called to rant, or act as a nagging conscience to others. We are, however, called to live by the truth. When able, we should express our convictions with warmth and kindness, but with confidence too. As we do, let’s know that some will accuse us of being judgmental. The accusation isn’t new. Prayer: Jesus, You are the way. Help me to live today in the confidence of that absolute truth, without being arrogant. Amen.

WED 11 SEPT

PERSISTENT

READ Genesis 18:18-33 Genesis 19:1-11

FOCUS Then they made the men who were at the door of the house blind. They blinded young and old men alike. So the men couldn’t find the door. Genesis 19:11

Let’s review where we’ve been. There’s an important truth which needs a wide-angle view. Abraham was called by God to do ‘what is just and right’. As he questioned God about the impending judgment on Sodom, he boldly asked probing questions about God’s character – using strong language. ‘You wouldn’t treat godly and evil people alike... Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is right?’ (Gen. 18:25). Abraham explored his own fears about justice. Questions are not the enemy of faith, but can be stepping-stones to greater, more authentic faith. It’s only as we allow our ideas about God to be interrogated by reflection, conversation and reading, that we can distil what is true and what are just hand-me-down myths that don’t help true faith, but complicate it. Abraham was persistent in interceding for Sodom, and in his cross-examining God about what was to come. Contrast that with the persistence shown by the depraved men of that city. Crazed with lust, they would not be satisfied with the offer of young innocent women, and when judgement finally fell initially with a blinding flash of light, they were unable to find the door to Lot’s house. Eagleeyed commentators note they still kept looking for it, clambering around to try to find it even after the terrifying flash. Temptation and addiction are often not just a nudge, but a driving, furious compulsion. Let’s be tenacious in our questioning, persistent in our prayers, and flee from sin. Prayer: Help me to be intentional about my faith; disciplined when temptation comes, and eager to respond to Your voice. Amen. 69

THU 12 SEPT

EVER HEARING, NEVER LEARNING

READ Genesis 19:12-26 2 Timothy 3:1-7 FOCUS “Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it – it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” Genesis 19:20

GOING DEEPER

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Some of us never learn. The tragedy of the Costa Concordia is a case in point. The Concordia was the ship that sank off the coast of Tuscany in 2012, with the loss of 32 lives. It’s not commonly known the ship had been used in the stunt of sailing too close to islands once before, in 2011, prompting complaints. Despite alarms screaming and computerised warnings, however, the headstrong captain sailed the ship too close again – right onto the rocks. The judgment of Sodom shows the stubbornness of human nature and our inability to learn. First of all, Lot’s son-inlaw refused to heed his warnings, and died. Then his wife famously looks back. But even Lot himself, even though he escaped the judgment, never learns. His life is spared, but then he moans that the command to go to the mountains would kill him. Even though he had just experienced God sparing his life yesterday, he couldn’t believe God could do the same today and tomorrow. Why? Perhaps because the city he asked to go to, Zoar, was what one commentator calls a ‘mini-Sodom’. Lot still thirsted after a culture similar to the one that had just been destroyed. One might have expected the trauma of the judgment would have taught him a sobering lesson, but it wasn’t to be. Remarkably, God shows grace to Lot in his stubbornness, promising not to include that city in judgment – even though it deserved it. What lessons have we learned that we’re now ignoring? Prayer: Lord, help me to learn, especially from my mistakes. Amen.

FRI 13 SEPT

DOES GOD CARE?

READ Genesis 19:27-29 Psalm 115:1-18

FOCUS Early the next morning Abraham got up. He returned to the place where he had stood in front of the Lord. Genesis 19:27

It happens to every Christian. An emergency arises in our lives, or in the life of someone we love, and we immediately go to desperate, persistent prayer. We jump on social media and call on others to join us. But despite our best efforts, the hoped-for healing doesn't come, the breakthrough doesn’t happen, the marriage isn’t restored. And we wrestle with disappointment. Didn’t God care? While we might be reluctant to voice our frustration, internally we simmer, and wonder. Perhaps we are tormented by the question: does prayer really change anything? Abraham got up early, eager to know if his prayers for Sodom had been heard. As he surveyed the smoking ruins of the city he had prayed for, again in the place where he had prayed, we are not told his thoughts. Who knows what went through his mind? He had desperately tried to negotiate with God about mercy coming on the basis of there being just a few righteous people in the city – but now judgment had struck, and what Abraham had so hoped for had not happened. In our faith treks, we all navigate times of frustration and disappointment, when for all of our believing and praying, the hopedfor result doesn’t come. Perhaps some of us are in that place right now. May we be strengthened both with faith for answers, and quiet trust when the answers don’t come. And perhaps that attitude of trust will be stronger as we are more open with each other about our struggles. Prayer: You care for me, Father. You care for all. You care for the planet that You made. May I live in the good of Your caring today. Amen. 71

WEEKEND 14 - 15 SEPT

FROM SIN TO SIN

READ Genesis 19:30-38 Ephesians 5:1-20

Fear, and a refusal to believe the promises of God, lead to sin – and more sin. The story of double incest between drunken Lot and his two daughters is shocking. There’s no question this was considered to be horrendously wrong in the culture of that day, which is why the two women conspired to get their father drunk. But notice a detail that comes before the lurid episodes. Lot had asked to flee to Zoar, and God’s gracious response was that the city would be spared judgment. But once safely there, Lot could not settle. Having been promised God’s providence, he refused to rest in the good of that promise, and resorted to being a cave dweller. That existence, in turn, led to the need for incest, because no other man was available to ensure the continuance of the family line. Fear had led to a situation where sin became almost a necessity, and then the sin was compounded by both sisters participating in the acts. This is the last mention of Lot in the Old Testament. God was involved in his life, but he ended his days disgracefully. And all because of fear and a lack of discipline – if he hadn’t allowed himself to overindulge in alcohol, this wouldn’t have happened. Sin begets sin. Let’s avoid places or circumstances that are likely contexts for disaster. And if we enjoy a glass of wine, fine. But let’s not keep going back for more, because if we do, choices might be made in those hazy moments which we will regret for a lifetime. To ponder: Can you think of a time in your life when sin led to more sin?

MON 16 SEPT

BESETTING SINS

READ Genesis 20:1-2 Genesis 12:13-15

FOCUS Abraham... lived between Kadesh and Shur... There Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She’s my sister.” Genesis 20:1-2

Here we go again. We’ve already seen that Lot couldn’t learn the lessons of life and faith, and so he (and his daughters) suffered. Now, even though Abraham should have learned from his previous act of denying that Sarah was his wife (remember Egypt?), he tries the same ridiculous stunt again, with terrible results, for his wife and Abimelek and his entire household. It’s astounding to think this mighty father of faith could repeat his folly – but he did. If we want a sobering analysis of human nature, we only have to read Genesis. It’s not only ‘pagans’ who make such a terrible mess of their lives, but the people of God do it too. ‘Besetting sin’ is the phrase often used to describe a fault line in us which means we tend to repeat a specific sin. It can be a habit or an attitude: we fall, repent, and insist we’re not going to go that way again. But our hearts can so easily be deceived, and we start to believe doing the wrong thing will create the right results, only to sin again. That’s what Abraham did: he thought that his lie would ensure peace, but it brought about God’s judgment. Perhaps we’re painfully aware that there are some sins that we repeatedly revisit. If we allow that to happen, these sins will drag us down for as long as we’re alive. Sooner or later, we have to wake up, perhaps make ourselves accountable to a trusted friend (Abraham’s loneliness is evident in his story), and stop the repetitive cycle. Prayer: Break the power of any ‘sin that so easily entangles’ me, Lord. Amen.

TUE 17 SEPT

SHAMED BY A PAGAN

READ Genesis 20:1-10 Matthew 5:14-16

FOCUS Then God spoke to him in the dream. He said, “Yes, I know you had no idea you were doing anything wrong. So I have kept you from sinning against me.” Genesis 20:6

Sometimes I meet people who have no faith, but act in a way that should shame those of us who are followers of Jesus. We’re wrong to think atheists and agnostics are incapable of love, kindness, and a host of other good character qualities. On the contrary, I’ve seen people sacrifice themselves, and be generous, loyal, and supportive in a way you’d hope Christians would be, but often aren’t. It saddens me to hear people say they’d never employ Christian tradespeople, because their work is shoddy, or they don’t pay their bills on time. Here, Abimelek acts in a way that Abraham should have acted – with deep integrity. Alerted by God in a dream that Sarah was already spoken for, he was called to action and repentance – and he immediately did what he was told. I confess there is one further part of this story that troubles me: God told Abimelek to go to Abraham and be prayed for. It seems unfair that a man of relative integrity should be told to submit himself to the prayers of the man who had created the mess in the first place. But then my irritation is banished by this comforting thought – God had promised to make Abraham a channel of blessing to the earth, and despite his deep flaws and sins, God was going to keep that promise. So Abraham is a channel of blessing and healing to Abimelek and his household. And there is some redemption in the story, in that Abraham, despite behaving so badly, can bless the penitent pagan. Prayer: Lord, You have called me into Your light, and to live as a light. May my life shine today, pointing others to You. Amen.

WED 18 SEPT

INNER DIALOGUE

READ Genesis 20:11-17 Philippians 4:4-9

FOCUS Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There isn’t any respect for God in this place at all. They will kill me because of my wife.’” Genesis 20:11

There is a contrast in this story. Notice that God speaks to Abimelek, in a dream, but Abraham speaks only to himself – and as a result, decides to repeat his deceptive plot. We all have an inner dialogue, an interior conversation going on inside our heads and hearts. As we go through the day, we form thoughts, reflect on issues and consider ideas – all in the silence of our inner lives. Nobody except God knows the buzz of chatter that goes on inside us. This is a good thing, because if our inner conversations and thought life were available for public perusal, we’d be embarrassed! But surely Abraham’s focus on talking to himself led to this disaster. Operating out of a place of fear and with a strong instinct for self-preservation, he didn’t remind himself of the promises of God. Nor did he talk directly to Him, rehearsing his concerns to the Lord who had solemnly made those promises. If Abraham was to see the fulfilment of all that God had pledged to him, there was no way that he could die. But our inner fears often loosen our grip on what God has said, as we focus instead on what might possibly be. That's one reason for us to bathe our minds in Scripture and reflect on it daily. May the silent conversation within us be rooted in trust and faith today. May we learn the discipline of replacing worry and fear – which is useless – with prayer. When we talk to and listen to nobody except ourselves, bad decisions are likely. Prayer: May the words of my mouth, and the mediations of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. 75

THU 19 SEPT

INNOCENTS SUFFER

READ Genesis 20:11-17 Romans 14:1-22

FOCUS Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech. He also healed his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again. Genesis 20:17

Before we leave this sad incident, let’s repeat a sobering truth that we saw earlier. Even though we might be bombarded with messages that invite us to live according to our own desires, the reality is that the choices we make invariably affect others. Sometimes innocent people get hurt. Abimelek was taken in by Abraham’s scheme of deception, and for some reason, Sarah didn’t feel able to expose the ruse either. Was she either manipulated or intimidated by her husband into participating in this now twice-repeated sham? But Abimelek and his household were blighted by a sin they didn’t even know was being committed. I’ve met the tearful spouses of those who have abandoned them for someone else, who offered more excitement; I’ve witnessed the pain of children abandoned by their fathers; I’ve watched as quietly, slowly, the lives of others have been eroded because someone decided to pursue self-interest and sin. What we do has an effect. Perhaps we’d do well to consider the implications of our actions before we make poor choices. Abraham was only thinking about himself, but his deception led to devastation for others. Paul taught that we should consider others in the ethical choices that we make, lest we cause them to stumble. Are there steps that we are about to take that will lead to hurt, not only for us, but for those that we love the most? True love will make us think again, and head away from that world of hurt. Prayer: Loving God, may my choices today bring blessing and strength, not weakness and hurt. Amen.

FRI 20 SEPT

PROMISES

READ Genesis 21:1-7 Ephesians 2:8-10

FOCUS The Lord was gracious to Sarah, just as he had said he would be. He did for Sarah what he had promised to do. Genesis 21:1

Let’s review Abraham’s life so far. We’ve already seen he made some truly horrendous mistakes, just one of which might have disqualified him, at least in our thinking, from blessing and usefulness. And some of his greatest errors were repeated. Nevertheless, the promise of God was kept, and, at a great age, Sarah gives birth to Isaac. She laughs for joy, and realises God’s blessing will bring laughter and joy to others who hear her story. When God promises something, He delivers. The wording of the text repeatedly points us back to the promise being made and then kept. But in celebrating that truth, there’s a need for caution. Sometimes believers get bitter when life gets hard, feeling that the Lord is failing them. He has never promised us an easy journey, however, and Jesus warned His followers they would experience trouble in this life (John 16:33). We can be quick to suggest God has pledged something to us – projecting our wishful thinking onto Him, and then compounding our foolishness by blaming Him for not delivering on what He never promised in the first place! And we should exercise extreme caution when we pray for others, and feel a nudge to tell them what is going to happen. While the gift of prophecy is real, too many lives have been damaged when believers have been told they are going to get that job, have that child, or develop that ministry – and then it doesn’t happen. Let’s live in His promises, not just our hopes. Prayer: Help me to be clear in my expectations of life as I walk with You, Father. Amen.

WEEKEND 21-22 SEPT

LETTING GO OF A DREAM

READ Genesis 21:8-14 Romans 12:1-2

We’ve already seen that being a follower of Jesus does not mean that God commits to fulfilling our dreams. Instead, it is an invitation to allow God to dream His dream through us. And that might mean letting some of our dreams die. I used to dream of being a medical doctor, which was perfectly ridiculous, since I was useless at anything scientific. I’ve lived in a different calling, but in doing that, I have needed to let some other hopes fade and die. Something similar happens to Abraham as he sends Hagar and Ishmael away. In an episode that, once again, I don’t like (it seems so terribly harsh), Sarah becomes angry because she thinks the now 11-year-old Ishmael is sneering at her son. She insists Abraham disinherits him. Abraham, understandably, struggles – for years Ishmael had fulfilled Abraham’s hope for an heir, and he was his firstborn son. But behind this family jealousy and tension, God was at work. If Ishmael had stayed in the household, he would have been Abraham’s rightful heir as his firstborn son, which would have frustrated God’s plans for Isaac. But one dream had to die before another one could be fulfilled. There’s a time to hold onto a request to God – a dream – and there’s a time to surrender and let it go, not so that nothing will happen, but so that something better can happen. Let’s know when to hold on, and when to let go. It’s called surrender, part of offering ourselves to the Lord. To ponder: Have you ever had to let go of a dream? How did you know it was time to surrender it?

MON 23 SEPT

STAY CLOSE

READ Genesis 21:15-21 Job 19:25 FOCUS God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and learned to shoot a bow and arrow. Genesis 21:20

GOING DEEPER

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One of the bad ideas that paralysed me as a young Christian was a neurotic pressure to precisely determine what the perfect will of God was, not only for my life generally, but for every action specifically. I was so obsessed with getting it right, I almost tipped into a nervous breakdown. Life felt like a tightrope. One wrong move and I would fall into a place of uselessness because I had chosen wrongly, even though I so wanted to do what was right. I’m glad God has the ability to untangle even our mistakes and messes. He is the redeemer. That shouldn’t make us careless, but it does relieve the pressure of thinking everything depends on us. The whole Hagar/Ishmael saga, as we’ve seen, came about because of Abraham and Sarah’s initial inability to trust God and believe Him in the long gap between His promise and fulfilment. But even though they stepped outside of His perfect will, He untangles the mess, promises to take care of Hagar and Ishmael, and do great things through the boy. Let’s passionately pursue God’s best for our lives, but not become overwhelmed: He knows our inability to hear and discern, and can redeem even our mistakes. Perhaps you’re living with regret over a decision that you can’t undo. Ask God to bring something good, even out of something that might have been bad. Throughout the course of history, He has done just that. And most importantly, let’s stay close to Him. Prayer: Lord, when my life gets tangled because of poor choices, please untangle the mess. Help me to walk closely to You. Amen. 79

TUE 24 SEPT

TRUST

READ Genesis 21:22-34 1 Timothy 1:12-17

FOCUS “Now make a promise to me here while God is watching. Take an oath that you will treat me fairly.” Genesis 21:23

Trust, once betrayed, can rarely quickly be given again. When our past behaviour has shown we are inconsistent, unreliable, and even capable of betrayal, we shouldn’t expect to be trusted again quickly, even if we insist that we are repentant. Others will want to see changed actions over a period of time, and to see our apologies are more than words. Sometimes trust is never regained, and rightly so. Abraham had already deceived Abimelek once, with disastrous results. Now, the man understandably wanted more than a casual promise, especially as he felt Abraham had been underhand in digging a well on his land without informing him, and then complaining when Abimelek’s servants seized it. And so, the two go through an elaborate ceremony to establish a covenant between them. I’ve suffered the consequences of recklessly ‘believing the best’ of others – even though, generally, that’s the best way to go. At times, I should have listened to that nagging word of concern and been more cautious. And, far more seriously, there are innocent people who have become victims of abuse in the church because someone in authority insisted perpetrators had changed and, hoping for the best, rushed to offer them responsibility again. When trust has been betrayed, caution is proper. It’s not a sign of unkindness to others, or evidence of a lack of faith in God. I don’t want to be constantly suspicious – but I don’t want to be blindly naive either. Prayer: Lord, help me to be worthy of trust, consistent in my word, fulfilling my promises, for your glory. Amen.

WED 25 SEPT

SURRENDER

READ Genesis 22:1-18 Leviticus 20:2-5

FOCUS Then God said, “Take your son, your only son. He is the one you love. Take Isaac. Go to Moriah. Give him to me there as a burnt offering.” Genesis 22:2

There have been a few occasions during our study of the life of Abraham where I have had to confess that I disliked the story. This is my least favourite episode in the entire Bible – the call to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. It is horrifying. One commentator even says that we should be horrified, because the entire Old Testament is completely opposed to child sacrifice. The very idea was clearly prohibited by God. So now why on earth would that same God ask Abraham to take a knife to his own son? First, let’s see that a woodenly literal approach to the Bible, especially where we pick out a text and make it a command for us, is highly dangerous. Absurd as it may seem, some might randomly fall on this text and use it as a reason to kill. And then, let’s realise this was only a test. This event was about total obedience to the command of God, and the Lord’s way to convince Abraham once and for all that child sacrifice was abhorrent to Him. Nor should we miss the point that faith is about obedience. There are times when we have to come to a place of surrendering to God that which we cherish. Tom Patterson, a wonderful Christian who lived through many trials, taught me that surrender takes careful thinking. As we carefully review our lives – what we have, what we want, where we’d like to go, what we’d like to be – and lay them on the altar before God, we show ourselves to be people of authentic faith. Prayer: Father, help me to show my love for You, in my surrendered obedience towards You. Amen. 81

THU 26 SEPT

HE KNOWS WHAT IT COSTS US

READ Genesis 22:1-18 Romans 15:5-6

FOCUS “Take your son, your only son. He is the one you love.” Genesis 22:2

GOING DEEPER

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At a conference where I was speaking, we were singing the beautiful song, ‘Waiting here for you.’ It's a haunting composition, not triumphalist, and it tells the truth that there are seasons, sometimes years, when we have to keep plodding on, still waiting, not tasting the good of what God has promised us. We wait. Suddenly tears came, as I realised there were many ministers and pastors attending the conference, who had worked hard, prayed, sacrificed and served, but without seeing great results. For them, hearing about flourishing churches brought a dull pain, and even a sense of condemnation, as they heard about others succeeding where they might think they had failed. I felt strongly that Jesus wanted to simply say, ‘thank you’ to them for their faithfulness and service. As God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, He does so with a full awareness of the cost of what He is asking. Notice how the words that God spoke emphasises how precious Isaac was: ‘your only son. He is the one you love.’ This was no cold command, but a call given with the fullest appreciation for what Abraham must have felt. God is not dismissive of our sacrifices. He sees what the faith trek has cost us, and promises us encouragement – a ‘well done, good and faithful servant’ at the end. When we continue in faithfulness, our efforts are not met by a wrinkled nose or an indifferent nod, but a congratulation that comes from a grateful, encouraging heart – the heart of God. Prayer: Thank you Lord, that You are not an indifferent taskmaster, but a warm, encouraging Father, unlike even the greatest of human fathers. Amen.

FRI 27 SEPT

SARAH DIES

READ Genesis 23:1-20 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

FOCUS Sarah’s death filled Abraham with sorrow. He went to the place where her body was lying. There he sobbed over her. Genesis 23:2

Recently, during a sermon, I showed a photograph of my late father. For a moment, grief hit me again. He died nearly 30 years ago, but there are still times when I miss him so. He was kind, did his best to be a good dad, and was a much beloved grandfather – my first grandson is named in his greatgrandfather’s honour. Walking a life of faith does not mean we are spared loss, grief, or seasons of sadness and questioning. Along with times of sunshine, there are times when the clouds come rolling in, and no amount of faith will spare us from them. Abraham had been through many experiences with his beloved wife Sarah and, along with the exhilaration of seeing the impossible coming to pass in the birth of Isaac, there had been decisions that Abraham must have regretted. We recall once more that twice he abandoned his wife to other men. And now, as she dies, he is overwhelmed with sadness, and goes out of his way to honour her memory. I’ve heard of Christians who have been told not to grieve when a partner dies, because that person is now with the Lord. But that is totally wrong. We do grieve, because they are not here, with us. Our grief is tempered, though, because we don’t grieve as those who have no hope. In Christ, the future is bright, and the reunion to come will surely be sweet. But in the meantime, our hearts ache and tears flow. Let’s not resort to hollow cliches when others mourn – in an attempt to bring help, we can hurt them. Prayer: I pray for those who grieve, especially those in my circle of influence. May I bring light to their darkness and comfort to their sadness. Amen. 83

WEEKEND 28 - 29 SEPT

OLD AND BLESSED

READ Genesis 24:1-9 2 Timothy 4:1-8

In talking with a fellow leader recently, I found myself asking a question: what would he want to be written on his gravestone? With a wry smile, he said, ‘A date of my death that is a very long way off from today.’ We all want to live for a long time. But God wants us to live well – beautifully, under His hand of blessing and provision. I love the way Abraham is described as very old, and very blessed, and that blessing was comprehensive. But that blessing was not something he just cherished for himself: he longed to see his descendants walk with God too. Concerned that Isaac might drift into compromise and faithlessness because of a marriage with a Canaanite, Abraham demands his servant pledges to find a wife for Isaac from among his own people. He didn’t want the culture and religion of the Canaanites to negatively impact Isaac. As Abraham remembers what God did for him in the past, he applies that faith to what will come in the future, in the choice of a wife for his son. Faith often comes as we remember turning points in our lives when God spoke, intervened, directed or provided. That’s why God’s people have always been told to build monuments to help them remember the great acts of God in history – to galvanise and strengthen their faith for the present and for the future. What do we need to remember from yesterday to help us steer through today – and all our tomorrows (hopefully many of them) with faith and trust? Let’s finish well. To ponder: What does it mean to ‘finish well’?

MON 30 SEPT

A LAST BREATH

READ Genesis 25:1-11 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

FOCUS He took his last breath and died when he was very old. He had lived a very long time. Then he joined the members of his family who had already died. Genesis 25:8

Life for Abraham did not end when Sarah died. He enjoyed marriage with a new wife, probably for some three decades before he finally died. And then, at last, Abraham ‘took his last breath’, but it was not the end of him. We read that he ‘joined the members of his family who had already died.’ The faith trek does not lead to extinction or oblivion. In Christ, there is life after death, and not just endless existence, but a gathering to an eternal community, made up of the saints through the ages, together with Jesus, whom we shall see face to face, and be with always. If this were not true, the life of faith would be in vain. Paul makes it clear the resurrection is the key to making following Christ valid. That’s not to say in any sense that life only begins after death; on the contrary, life as it is supposed to be lived, the trek of faith, is now, today. But when our hearts finally stop beating, that will not be the end of us. Perhaps we need to remind each other more about our wonderful hope of eternity with Jesus. Our time with Abraham, though, is over. I hope you’ve been encouraged as we’ve walked together and followed the old patriarch’s footsteps. Far from perfect, nevertheless, he trusted. There were terrible failures, but failure was not the end. There was always another day, another opportunity to get in step with God and His purposes. Wherever we are on our journeys, may we be strengthened to press on today. And may God bless you. Prayer: Thank You Father, that I am part of your big, eternal plan. Renew my joy in the hope that is the living Christ. I praise You! Amen. 85

HOLY LAND TOURS 11TH-18TH NOVEMBER 2024

AS WE GO TO PRINT, WE ARE STILL PLANNING THIS TRIP FOR NOVEMBER. PLEASE REGISTER YOUR INTEREST BY USING THE QR CODE BELOW.

Join Jeff and Kay Lucas on a very special tour of Israel that will transform and inform your Bible reading time. Sharing practical, biblical insights as they travel, they will take you to the famous biblical locations, including Galilee, Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Register your interest now and look forward to a well-organised and informative visit. And there will be lots of fun too! Some highlights of the visit will be to biblical locations where Jesus walked such as the Sea of Galilee, Caeserea Philippi, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, and the garden of Gethsemane. We will also visit the Dead Sea, Masada and Qumran, the Garden Tomb, walk the streets of the old city of Jerusalem, and visit the Western (Wailing) Wall. Professional local guides share their wealth of historical and archeological knowledge; Jeff offers teaching as we tour, and Jeff and Kay host the entire experience – one that some travellers have enjoyed so much they have returned to do the same trip a second and even a third time! With excellent hotels, amazing food, and the unforgettable experience of exploring the stunning old city of Jerusalem (with markets where you can haggle for a bargain) this trip will delight and inspire. Come with us! 86

To register your interest so that you are among the first to get all the information you need, visit: www.jefflucas.org

Please join in prayer with us for Israel and Gaza at this time... - that cease fire and resilient peace and reconciliation will emerge - that the schemes of evil will be thwarted - that all who mourn will be comforted - that leaders within the Middle East and beyond will be granted wisdom, especially those who are striving to broker peace Please pray. 87

LIFE WITH LUCAS PARTNERS WITH THE C3 CHURCH, CAMBRIDGE AND THEIR EXCITING PRISON MINISTRY. They broadcast a bespoke version of their Sunday service into 76 prisons and detention centres in England which has the potential for over 57,000+ prisoners to watch directly on TV screens in each cell – some inmates spend up to 22 hours a day in their cell. Many inmates express a desire for Christian literature to be able to read and learn whilst they are in prison. We provide Life with Lucas free of charge to any prisoners and chaplains who request copies. Becky Campbell, who leads the ministry, says, 'C3 is very grateful for the partnership with Jeff Lucas and team to enable more people to grow in discipleship and their relationship with God, even behind the gates of prison’. Please help us to get words of hope and salvation inside those prison walls!

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NEXT TIME: HEROES AND VILLAINS As we consider some of the heroes and villains of the Bible, we discover what we can learn from the lives of some of the lesser known people of faith in Scripture – there’s great wisdom to be gleaned as we ponder their journeys with the Lord! But the Bible also chronicles the stories of some terrible villains as well – and we can learn from their mistakes. Join Jeff for a relevant, inspiring trip!

Abraham was a man of faith, willing to obey God, even when it hurt. But like all of us, he had plenty of flaws too, yet he alone is uniquely described in the Old Testament as a friend of God. As those invited to friendship with Jesus, let’s take a good look at father Abraham’s journey, and be encouraged and strengthened in our own walk with the Lord!

Life with Lucas is written by Jeff Lucas, an international author, speaker, broadcaster and coach. Married to Kay, his passion is to equip the Church with biblical, practical Bible teaching, marked by vulnerability and humour. Jeff is a best-selling author of 34 books, and broadcasts weekly on Premier Christian Radio. He is a Senior Executive Pastor at Timberline Church, Fort Collins, Colorado. JeffLucasUK

JeffLucasUK

lifewithlucas.co.uk PO Box 3070, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6WX, UK Tel 01903 732190