Journey Through the Bible in a Year
Reading God's Word and learning more about His plan for my life each day!
Sunday, September 22, 2002
Introduction to Journey Through the Bible
A note about online study
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for another Lord’s day when we can come together and worship You. I pray that You will prepare all of us to come together to worship You in Spirit and in truth. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit from the time we get up today, that all that we are and all that we do will glorify You and bring you the honor that You alone are worthy to receive. I pray for the worship team not only at New Life Christian Ministries today, but the worship teams of every church everywhere that we gather in Jesus’ name to sing You praises, to offer thanksgiving, to confess our sins, and to bring You our petitions and intercessions. I pray that You will inhabit the praises of Your people this day and that You will expand the borders of Your kingdom, by bring many new men, women and children into relationship with You. These things I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
My Journey Verses for Today
Genesis 18:1-15
1 The LORD appeared again to Abraham while he was camped near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day about noon, as Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent, 2 he suddenly noticed three men standing nearby. He got up and ran to meet them, welcoming them by bowing low to the ground. 3 "My lord," he said, "if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while my servants get some water to wash your feet. 5 Let me prepare some food to refresh you. Please stay awhile before continuing on your journey." "All right," they said. "Do as you have said." 6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick! Get three measures of your best flour, and bake some bread." 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a fat calf and told a servant to hurry and butcher it. 8 When the food was ready, he took some cheese curds and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them there beneath the trees. 9 "Where is Sarah, your wife?" they asked him."In the tent," Abraham replied. 10 Then one of them said, "About this time next year I will return, and your wife Sarah will have a son."Now Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent nearby. 11 And since Abraham and Sarah were both very old, and Sarah was long past the age of having children, 12 she laughed silently to herself. "How could a worn-out woman like me have a baby?" she thought. "And when my master – my husband – is also so old?" 13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? About a year from now, just as I told you, I will return, and Sarah will have a son." 15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied that she had laughed. But he said, "That is not true. You did laugh."
Reflecting on God's Word for My Journey
What is one of the most shocking or embarrassing situations in which you’ve ever found yourself?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word for My Journey
How did God appear to Abraham in today’s Scripture and what was Abraham’s response to the visit? (18:1-8)
What was the purpose of God’s visit with Abraham and Sarah? (18:9-10)
What was Sarah’s response to the news? (18:11-15)
Understanding God's Will for My Journey
Why do you suppose that Sarah had such a hard time believing that God was going to fulfill His promise of giving them a son within the next year, when the promise had been made many years before?
What does Abraham’s treatment of the “visitors” show us about his readiness for God’s intervention in his life?
Applying What God's Word Tells Me to My Journey
What specific actions does Abraham’s welcome of the visitors include that you need to incorporate in your reception of strangers in your life?
My Personal Journey Thought for the Day—“This Time Next Year...!”
For years Abraham and Sarah waited for the fulfillment of God’s promise to give them descendants as numerous as the stars of the heavens and the sands of the seashore, but when the angel of the Lord said, “about this time next year, I will return and your wife, Sarah, will have a son,” Sarah lost it. She laughed. She murmured to herself, “Impossible! How could an old worn-out woman like me have a baby? And Abraham is no spring chicken either.” The promise was sure. The timing wasn’t what Sarah expected. Abraham didn’t laugh this time when the news was broken, but he did the first time he heard it directly, as you’ll recall from our reading yesterday. As long as the promise was some distant object, something to be longed for, something hoped for but not fulfilled, Abraham and Sarah could accept it. But when they heard the news that it was going to be a reality within a year, Sarah couldn’t handle it. She started looking at all the practical reasons why God couldn’t do what He had promised. It was actually funny to her. Then God said, “Why did you laugh, Sarah?” and she denied it. “I didn’t laugh.” Sarah lied right in God’s face. But God understood. He simply said, “Yes, you did.” And He still fulfilled the promise. The next year, Isaac was born, and then everyone was laughing! What do you suppose God will do by this time next year?
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