This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey | Share The Word

Questions for Reflection for Study of Genesis 17-20

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Mark Shields

For the past few weeks, the journey through Genesis has taught me lessons from Abraham who went up to the desert region called the Negev along with his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot. The lessons are about humility, seeking unity, and peace. Abram was willing to work out problems head on without deception and he humbly sought unity and peace with Lot. Abram demonstrated that he cared for others.

As writers, we also show that we care for others by giving back what we have learned in life to our readers. What we make happen for others, God will make happen for us. Abraham had his priorities right as he was concerned for Lot who was going through tough times. Lot was near the sinful city of Sodom and because of this association; he lost all his possessions and was taken captive.

On the other hand, Abraham was where God wanted him to be and with the people He wanted him to be with. God encouraged Abraham through His Word. The Word came to Abraham in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid, Abraham. I am your shield, your very great reward.” It is the same for us today as God is by our side to protect and encourage.

Also learned over the last few weeks is the need for patience. Abraham and his wife Sarah were both getting up in age and they felt like their child bearing years had passed so to build a family, Sarah told Abraham to sleep with her maidservant named Hagar. After Hagar became pregnant, Sarah despised Hagar (v. 4).

When we are impatient and try to rush God, the usual results are disappointment. Think of our society today. We live in a society of impatience and we want things now and with technology today we have come to expect immediate satisfaction. The problem is that since we are all rushed, there are mistakes and some of these mistakes take time and money to correct.

But in God’s timing, things have a way to work out best. So let us then put our attention on His greatness and over the next few weeks focus on His Word. The mission of this blog is to bring out ways to apply His Word in our life at work, at home, and within our neighborhoods. The questions for reflection for the upcoming study are laid out below to help bring out some thoughts and ideas over the next two weeks.

Genesis 17
How does Abraham respond to God’s promises? What promises has God given You? How are you responding to them today?

Genesis 18
How does God appear to Abraham? How does Sarah react to God’s promise? From the dialogue of God and Abraham what do you learn about God? What do you learn about intercessory prayer?

Genesis 19
Where is “innocent bystander” Lot? What are some of the immediate results of Lot’s close association with the “swingers” of Sodom? Do you think his main motive has been to witness? Examine your influence on and witness to others. Do they understand your beliefs and respect your words? Why?

Genesis 20
What is Abraham’s basic problem here (see 12:10-19)? Why do you think that unchristian people are sometimes more ethical than Christians? In what ways is Abimelech an example to follow?

The above reading plan will be used as I share over the next few posts. It’s important to have a plan. I’m thankful that Jesus is God’s plan for us and by accepting Him as Savior; we have taken the steps necessary to make this day with Him amazing! At this link: God’s Plan for Us, is a post about accepting God’s plan or reaffirming our “YES” for Christ.

Feel free to respond with a short note or a comment about any of the questions above. Also, I welcome any other thoughts or ideas, favorite inspirational videos, photos, or favorite Bible verses. Just add them to the comments or to a Facebook page I’ve set up at this link: This Day With God.

Resources and Supplementary Helps Used in Posts
Adeney, Carol. This Morning with God. Downer Grove Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1978
First United Methodist Waco Podcast
Christ Notes
Family Times
Image Source

Posted in Genesis, Questions for Reflection | Tagged Abraham, Bible, Genesis, God, Jesus, Plan, Reflection, Sarah, Savior | Leave a comment

Humanity and Christianity

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Mark Shields

You and I are wonderfully made by a God who loves each of us so much that He sent His own Son to die on the cross for us. I wrote this poem after reflection on Genesis 4 about humanities fall in the Garden of Eden. This poem explains how we get back on track to a brighter future. So this day with God, let us be thankful for this victory on the cross. As we live, give, and love with help from above, let us follow His way and know everything will be okay. Have a wonderful weekend my friends!

Step Ahead

You are a miracle
Incredibly special
A miracle from birth
With such great worth

The language of God
Who we all applaud
Written out as DNA
What can we say?

To describe who we are
Designed to be a star
God made us all
For the long haul

He made us to be remarkable
And always to sparkle
Much more sophisticated
Than ever anticipated

More than an advanced machine
Or technological innovative thing
The human body is wonderfully made
By the ONE to whom we have prayed

He put us all together
But hold on to the tether
Because there was the fall
We were thrown a curve ball

In the account of Adam and Eve
Perfection is not achieved
Humanity got off track
The evil one attacks

But because of His Son
We are not done
With Him there is a choice
And we can all rejoice

Just own…

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Putting our Attention on His Greatness

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Mark Shields

In the study of Genesis 16 and writing about it yesterday in the post Trust in His Perfect Timing, the lesson for me is that we should be careful not to force the issue. We should put our attention on God and do things according to His timing; to trust Him to work situations out for us.

God may get our attention in many ways. There are times of the year that inspire and bring out memories; the end of summer when football starts, the fall and the smell of pecan pie, the winter when the leaves have fallen and you look up into the cold night sky and see more stars than you could ever count. The spring and the memories of playing baseball and the summers going to the water park; you can count on the seasons. They are coming, you can depend on it, but they never are exactly the same because life and how we see things is always changing.

Music also has a way of bringing out memories and giving inspiration. Here is a video about God’s greatness from a young lady in my local community that does just that: How Great Thou Art – Holly Tucker on the Voice.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. – Colossians 3:2

Posted in Focus, Genesis, Music | Tagged Decisions, God’s Timing, Memories, Music, Patience, Prayer, Seasons, Soul, The Voice, Truth | Leave a comment

Trust in His Perfect Timing

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Mark Shields

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Reading now in Genesis 16, Abraham and his wife Sarah were both getting up in age and they felt like their child bearing years had passed so to build a family, Sarah told Abraham to sleep with her maidservant named Hagar. After Hagar became pregnant, Sarah despised Hagar (v. 4).

When we are impatient and try to rush God, the usual results are disappointment. We live in a society of impatience. We want things now and with technology today we have come to expect immediate satisfaction. We can get the latest and greatest with a few clicks of a mouse. The products bought on the Internet can be shipped in a matter of days.

But in God’s timing, things have a way to work out best. Unfortunately, children want to rush into adulthood much earlier nowadays. Pre-Marital sex is a big problem today. To fit in, young people feel they have to do what everyone else is doing. It is only when we get older that we realize that being different from everyone else pays off. People that are unique and can do what no one else can do are the ones that get paid the most because they have something that no one else has.

Our actions affect future generations. If we want things now, then future generations speed things up and want it now. It’s so important for us to get across to future generations the benefits of patience. The world tells us that God is not real. That it’s not worth waiting or worth our time to pray; to have Him in our thoughts but past history tells us that with God, all things work out.

This day with You Lord, may we continue to put our attention on You first; consult with You in prayer so we are making the right decisions, are at the right place, and doing the right things at the right time.

Lord, the world tells me You are not real but as I get to the end of each day; taking walks and feeling the fresh breeze hitting my face and hearing the sounds of night that sooths my soul, I know the world is telling a lie and the ONE who created the breeze and unique music of the night is telling me the truth.

Posted in Focus, Genesis | Tagged Decisions, God, Patience, Prayer, Soul, Technology, Truth | 3 Comments

Encouraging Word

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Mark Shields

God encouraged Abraham through His Word. The Word came to Abraham in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid, Abraham. I am your shield, your very great reward.” It is the same for us today as God is by our side to protect and encourage. Enjoy today’s video: Whom Shall I Fear – Chris Tomlin.