Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
It was a bad idea followed by a bad decision. Sarah couldn’t have children, so she decided to give her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, to her husband, Abraham, to be his wife. Abraham complied. When Hagar became pregnant, Sarah despised her and blamed Abraham for the situation. Sarah mistreated her maidservant so much so that Hagar ran for her life.
Have you ever grown tired of waiting on God? That’s what happened to Abraham’s wife, Sarah. She decided to take matters into her own hands. Since she had not been able to have children, she told Abraham to sleep with her maidservant Hagar, which he did. Hagar became pregnant, and Sarah became jealous. Hagar finally ran away to escape the mistreatment. The angel of the Lord found her near a spring in the desert.
Sometimes, doubt follows amazing victories. Has that ever happened to you? That’s what happened to Abraham. The great patriarch experienced a commanding victory…but then, doubt crept in.
Worry, anxiety, fear—have you ever experienced those emotions? No doubt you have. Even the strongest believer has been riddled with fear. But thankfully, for those who follow Jesus, these emotions are “drive-bys,” not destinations. We need not live with anxiety, worry, or fear because we serve God Most High.
In the first chapter of the Bible, Elohim, the powerful and sovereign God, created the heavens and the earth. In Genesis 2, God became personal. Along with the name that describes his power, God added his personal name—Yahweh. The LORD God (Yahweh Elohim) stooped down and breathed into Adam the breath of life, making him a living being.
The first name that God used to describe himself in Scripture is the Hebrew word, Elohim. This name means “Mighty Creator” and appears over 2,500 times in the Bible. It describes God’s power, sovereignty, and authority over all things.
A name is more than a combination of letters. A name represents character and personality. When we hear a name, we think of a person, and our emotions are stirred. So it is with God.
Eleven men sat in a darkened room. The doors were bolted shut. Certainly, those who had killed Jesus would be coming for them. The deafening silence was broken by every cough and creaking chair echoing throughout the room. The shuffling feet and the heavy sighs served as reminders of the tension. Along with the darkness was a mixture of hopelessness and confusion. All their dreams and hopes were bound in grave cloths, lying cold in a guarded tomb.
Saturday was silent. The One who promised them life was dead. The One who spoke of saving others could not even save himself. How would he prepare those promised heavenly mansions when his body lay in a cold, dark tomb?
We call it Good Friday. But “good” hardly describes what was happening, especially as Jesus’ mother stood at the foot of the cross.
Thursday was the last day Jesus would spend with his disciples before the cross. It was the day of Passover, the time when Israel remembered God’s faithfulness in delivering them from slavery in Egypt.
On the Wednesday before the cross, Jesus told his disciples that he was going to be crucified. The religious leaders made plans to seize and kill him. And it was on Wednesday that Judas met with the High Priest and bargained for the sum of thirty silver pieces to betray Jesus. However, one encounter with Jesus stands out as an extravagant act of worship.