Daily Encouragement

September 13, 2009 - The Warrior Of Faith

The battle between Abram and the four kings here in this chapter was probably the greatest victory before Joshua's time. Abram proved himself a man of faith with action. He led a team of 318 trained men with other soldiers of three allies marched 150 miles to route the great empires of enemies and brought back all the people and goods. His battle was a battle by faith because of these elements:

He fought against the king of Shinar, the kingdom of Babylon who was rebellious against God and other powerful kingdoms in Middle East. (v. 1)

He fought in order to save his nephew, Lot and his families. (v. 14)

The victory of his small army was from the God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth. (v. 19)

He had trained his people and prepared them for battle. (v. 14)

He gave a tithe of all the spoils to the priest of God, Melchizedek. (v. 18-20)

He refused to accept any gift from the king of Sodom who was wicked before God. (Genesis 13:13)

Abram's faith in God had been proven and had grown greatly in this historic battle.

September 14, 2009 - From Uncertainty To Faith

Meditation on Genesis 15

In the aftermath of a great war over many enemies in a land he still not owned and knowing that he was getting old but remain childless, we can see that Abram had fear and uncertainty for his future. So God gave him visions and assurance.

In the first vision, God told him that He was his shield, a protector and He would reward him for his sacrifice and testimony for Him. (v. 1) God reassured him that his descendants would come from his own body. And his descendants would be numerous. (v. 4-5)

"And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted to him for righteousness." (v. 6 NKJV) His faith brought him righteous standing before God. This was the Old Testament example of justification by faith quoted by the apostle Paul in Romans 4 and Galatians 3. When a person trusted in God's word, he would have be justified because of the grace and calling of God. Like Abram, he would be blessed.

Then Abram was instructed to prepare animals for cutting a covenant between God and himself. God even told him what would happen to his descendants in the near future. He also showed Abram some burning objects flying between the animal sacrifices that were cut by half and lying opposite from each other. That was the symbol of God's presence to participate in an ancient tradition of cutting a covenant between two parties. God confirmed his promise that Abram would inherit the land! (v. 9-21)

As Abram's faith grew, your growing faith will be rewarded greatly also.

September 15, 2009 - Face The Reality

Meditation on Genesis 16

After waiting for ten years and still had no child, Sarai suggested to her husband to take her Egyptian maid, Hagar as wife in order to give them a child. This was a perfectly legitimate practice in the custom of their time. Abram listened to her and Hagar did bear a child for him.

Hagar despised her mistress since she was pregnant. So Sarai dealt with her harshly. Hagar then ran away from home to the wilderness. Here was a servant girl with a baby in her womb walking in the desert alone. God did not abandon her. He sent an angel to guide her. It was significant that the angel of the LORD addressed her as Sarai's maid. (v. 8)

God was reminding her who she was and questioning where she came from and where she was going. The angel instructed her to go back and submit herself to Sarai.

God wants all of us to face the reality of life and should not run away from our responsibility even at time it is tough to do so. We need to learn the lesson of submission in life. Then God would bless us like he promised for Sarai.

Sarai's son was named Ishmael (meaning "God hears") to remind her that God heard her affliction. (v. 11) Abram apparently listened to her testimony and indeed accepted this name. Yes, God hears our cries as we face the reality of life and not run away from the condition God puts us in.

September 16, 2009 - A Brand New Name

Meditation on Genesis 17

Twenty five years after his calling to the Promised Land, Abram and Sarai had finally grown in their faith to the point of ready to have a child from their own bodies. At ninety nine years and eighty nine years old, Abram and Sarai's lives were going to a different stage. God promised them that they would have an authentic family of their own. God affirmed his promise to Abram with a new covenant that required all the males in his household to be circumcised. And His name would be changed to Abraham from then on which meant "father of many nations." God also changed Sarai's name to Sarah which means "princess".

With the immediate obedience by Abraham and his family and the new names they got, Abraham and Sarah were ready to receive God's brand new blessing in their life which was a son of their own.

Interestingly, when God told Abraham that he would have a son in his old age, he laughed to himself. (v. 17) God was so humorous that He told Abraham to name his son, Isaac which means "laughter".

Have your faith progressed to the point of obeying God's command immediately? Are you ready to receive new blessings from God? Have your friends recognized your new life as a Christian? Are you so intimate with God that you can recognize his humor in your life? Yes, you can.

September 17, 2009 - Hospitality And Prayer

Meditation on Genesis 18

Abraham could recognize the three travelers who passed by were godly people. He invited them into his tent and offered them the best meal he could come up with. As a result, he was entertaining angels. And these unusual guests told him that he would have a son within a year. What a blessing that came from being hospitable! God would reward that virtue in a believer's life. (Hebrews 13:2)

It was an oriental custom that the host would accompany the guest for a short distance as they leave. As Abraham walked with his guests, he heard them talking. The angel of the LORD revealed to him their intention of destroying Sodom and Gomorrah because of the great wickedness in that city. Here we found Abraham manifested his faith, his humbleness and earnestness in prayer. It is amazing to see that he could reduce the number of righteous persons in the cities from fifty to only ten so that they would be spared of destruction. Abraham probably thought that there ought to be at least ten people there including the family of his nephew, Lot who were righteous.

So it showed that God's compassion was great and Abraham's persistent request was granted. The fervent prayer of a righteous man is effective. (James 5:16)

What we need today among Christians are men of hospitality and prayer. Then God will bless our church.

September 18, 2009 - The Tragic Consequence Of Immorality

Meditation on Genesis 19

What happened to the two angels when they visited Sodom clearly demonstrated the irredeemable situation of the citizens there. Lot, acting as an official of the city was sitting at the gate. He insisted the two men should live in his house. That night the men of the city from the oldest to the youngest without exception surrounded Lot's house and demanded to rape the two visitors. Can you believe that? No wonder the angels had to destroy all of these people. All of them were desperately wicked.

Even Lot was influenced by the immorality of the citizens there. He was willing to sacrifice his own daughters to fulfill the lust of those people. No doubt, his own daughters also adopted the lax moral attitude of Sodom. After their escape from the destruction of Sodom, they were willing to make their father drunk in order to produce offspring for their family. How terrible it was for all those happenings. Not only condemnation would come upon those who ignored the moral design of God, but also those who lived in immoral environment may be affected negatively.

May we seek clean mind and heart from God always.

September 19, 2009 - People Do Not Learn From Mistake

Meditation on Genesis 20

When Abraham settled into the land of Philistine, he lied about his relationship with his wife to the people there. He did not say that Sarah was his wife. Instead he said that she was his sister. This was the second time he did such a thing. You remember he told that same lie to the Pharaoh of Egypt.

Abimelech, the king of Gerar in that land took Sarah to his palace with the intent to make her a concubine. But God intervened in this situation to protect the line of the Messiah and fulfill his covenant with Abraham even though he failed the test of faith again.

God warned Abimelech in a dream that he would be destroyed because he took the wife of someone else. So he summoned Abraham to question his misdeed. Abraham gave the reasons for his lie that he feared that the people of that land did not fear God and that she indeed was his half sister. But Abraham's worry was not necessary. The people there did believe in God. In fact, Abimelech treated Abraham and his wife well even after the discovery of the lie. And Abraham also prayed for the king and their people. Then God removed his judgment upon the women of that land there so they could have children again.

Think of the insult and rebuke that Abraham got from Abimelech. How his decision had put his wife into a situation of great embarrassment of being taken into the bosom of another man and almost lost his wife forever. Yet he was a man of God and a prophet by then. He had not learned from his previous mistake.

How often we ourselves would make the same mistake again? May we learn well from this passage.