5 Minute Read + Scripture readings
Today’s Bible Reading:
Today’s Bible Verse(s):
“Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
Genesis 15:6 (CSB)
Reflections on Today’s Bible Verse(s):
When I was in a Christian college, one of my professors said:
“A text without a context is only a pretext.”
That phrase essentially means: “If you don’t bother to study the verses, chapters, and book(s) around the verse you are observing, you may misunderstand that verse. In fact, if you quote that verse, you may be misusing it by making it say something it doesn’t say.
So, when we read a verse of Scripture, we ALWAYS need to read its context to see what light can be shed on the verse’s meaning.
When we look at Genesis 15:6, we see that “Abram believed the Lord.” As a result, God credited righteousness to Abram’s account. Essentially, Abram’s heart was converted and he formally became a God-follower. In New Testament theology, we would say that Abram got saved.
But, if we only look at that one verse, we may be impressed with Abram’s faith. Then we would look at ourselves and question the vitality of our own faith. We would feel so inferior to Abram because we know that our own faith falters … a lot!
Well, my friend, let’s simply look at the next 2 verses:
Genesis 15:7–8 (CSB): “He also said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.’ But he said, ‘Lord God, how can I know that I will possess it?’”
Did you get that?! As soon as we read that God credited Abram with righteousness because of his faith, we see that his faith is just like ours. God revealed something to him … and Abram wanted proof. He wanted something tangible that he could hold onto.
Friend, God is more gracious than we could ever possibly imagine. He is certainly holy so we had better make sure that we have saving faith, that we are trusting in Jesus for eternal life. But, regarding the quality of our faith, God is willing and able to graciously help us along even when our faith falters.
A New Testament illustration comes to mind. In John 20, Jesus had risen from the dead. He appeared to the disciples on Sunday but the Apostle Thomas wasn’t in attendance. When Thomas was told that Jesus was alive, he said that he wouldn’t believe unless he saw the nail prints. Well, when Jesus met with Thomas the next Sunday, did Jesus soundly embarrass and rebuke him for such pitiful faith? No! Jesus showed Thomas the proof he needed (John 20:24-29).
God is so gracious! Grow in faith and rest in His grace today, my friend.
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Lord Jesus, thank You so much for being so patient and gracious with me. Help me to rest in Your grace as You grow my faith. Amen.
“Taking a Trip to Israel:
Pictures, Videos, Reflections and Tips from a Trip to the Holy Land”
A trip to Israel can bring the stories of the Bible to life! It is unfortunate that most people will never be able to afford such a trip or fit it into their busy schedules.
Let Matt Ellis take you on a trip with his wife. They went to Israel in the summer of 2018 and spent much time taking pictures, capturing videos, and providing reflections on the numerous sites he visited.
In the pages of this digital book, you’ll visit places like Nazareth and Capernaum. You’ll take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. You’ll visit the possible site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. And these are just a few of the more than 20 sites that are highlighted in this interactive book.
Making your way through the pages of this book will help you to ultimately get more out of your time in the greatest Book of all, God’s Word.
Click here to purchase this digital, interactive book on Amazon for $2.99.
Matt’s Musings 
A good reminder and encouragement to us. We all need to be reminded that God is not offended when we bring our honest questions and doubts to Him. Thanks for sharing this with us Bro Matt
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You are welcome, Dewayne.
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