Please read Genesis 18, Genesis 19, Genesis 20, Genesis 21:1-7, and then come on back!  Here’s what I’m thinking about today:

Big day! Lots happened in today’s reading! Isn’t it sad – before Isaac was conceived (and after Sarah had received the promise of a child), Sarah abused Hagar to a point where she ran away.  Her frustration and anger was so great, Hagar was abandoned when it was Sarai herself who had made the mistake.  Emotion is so easily displaced – fight the temptation to take out your disappointments on the people around you. Sarah did receive her promise, though she had to wait for it. Isaac was born in chapter 21!

With Sodom, God was so merciful – willing to save the entire city for the sake of a few, yet even a few could not be found.  It is important to notice what happened to Lot’s wife when they were leaving – turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).  When God asks you to move on, please move on!

“Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised” (Genesis 21:8).  After all that!  We have the benefit of hindsight, we know the entire story.  Sarah lived, every day, with her uncertainty.  We had no doubt Isaac would be born!

God’s thoughts are higher for sure – it’s so important that we follow the Lord (and not try to come up with our own plans) even when we might not understand.

Please read Genesis 15-17, and come on back! 🙂 Here’s what is on my mind today:

Genesis 16:13 is one of my favorites: “she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’ ” God always notices us, and that’s a comfort.  Do you ever feel unnoticed?  God sees you!

We are all familiar with Abram and Sarai’s story,  and the way Sarai thought to “help” the Lord by giving her maid Hagar to Abraham. Even though Ishmael wasn’t the promised son, he was still Abraham’s son – notice how he prays for Ishmael in Genesis 17:18, “Oh, keep Ishmael alive and well before you!” Even though Sarah had made a mistake, God didn’t mean for Ishmael to be punished – He comforts Abraham by letting him know that Ishmael would be blessed as well, but Sarah’s son would be the son of promise.

Genesis 17:9 stood out to me this morning: “this is the covenant that you are to honor… generation after generation”.  The Living Bible translate it like this: Abraham had a “personal” and “continual responsibility” obey the terms of the covenant.  We have that same personal and continual responsibility! God is always faithful – and we have a responsibility to continue in covenant with Him.  Obedience is daily and consistent.

Please read Genesis 11:1-26, 1 Chronicles 1:24-27, Genesis 11:27-31, Genesis 12, Genesis 13, Genesis 14, and come right back! 🙂 Here’s what I am thinking about today:

Lots of genealogies today – if you find them a little tiring, know that I am with you!  But before we overlook these names, try looking at each one, see if you recognize anyone. Many of these names will come back again.  An important figure is introduced today: Abraham.

Though Abraham will have to go through many trials, he has this initial promise form the Lord to maintain him: “I’ll make you a great nation and bless you.  I’ll make you famous, you’ll be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2 MSG). it will be years before Abram  begins to see this promise come to pass.

The entire Bible is a lifeline to us, God’s character and blessings, full of promises.  It’s the logos word (the written word) straight from His heart to ours.  Whether God gives you a logos (written word) or a rhema (spoken word) to hold on to, be encouraged: He is always faithful to His promises.  Even if, like Abraham, you have to wait. 🙂

Please read Genesis 4, Genesis 5,1 Chron 1:1-4, Genesis 6, and come right back – here’s what I am thinking about today:

The story of Cain and Abel is sad on several different levels.  Cain’s action was extreme (that’s an understatement).  At first look, God’s response to Cain’s offering seems extreme as well. However, when you read the Old Testament, take every opportunity to apply the character of the God you know today to the God of the Old Testament – He’s exactly the same, yesterday, today and forever.  When it seems harsh, take a deeper look. Cain did not give a firstfruit offering, and this may not have even come from his own harvest. Apparently Cain picked a few wild fruits and called it a day, an offering which cost him nothing.  In contrast, Abel brought the best he had to the Lord, a firstborn, a valuable animal that might have brought a price if he had sold it.  Their offerings were not the same – but the Lord wasn’t looking for the same in value (never that, even today), He is looking for the same level of sacrifice. 

I love the reference to Enoch, about how God “took” him. Imagine being so close that the separation of heaven and earth is too much! Wow! God desires an intimate relationship with His children and I am humbled by that thought.

Here we go!  So glad you are here!  Please read Genesis chapters 1-3 and then come right back! 🙂 Here’s what stood out to me today:

“First this: God created the Heavens and Earth – all you see, all you don’t see.  Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness.  God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.” Genesis 1:1-2 Message

As you read on, did you notice: God always spoke to the source BEFORE He spoke to the living. Before He spoke to the Light before He named the day, He spoke to the sky before He spoke flying things into being, He spoke to the water before He spoke to fish into being, He spoke to the earth before He spoke to land animals and trees into being.

Most importantly, He spoke to Himself before He spoke man into being.  Just as fish cannot live without water, birds cannot live without sky, animals and trees cannot live without earth, we cannot live without God.  He is our source!

Sadly, disobedience still causes separation from the Lord today, just as it did in the beginning.  How heartbreaking it must have been for Adam and Even to realize that their intimate fellowship with the Lord had been broken.  We’ll see this year how the Lord always works to restore us – even at this very moment in history, He had a plan in place to bring His children back in relationship with Him!

YOU’LL WANT TO CLICK THE “FOLLOW” BUTTON AND FOLLOW THIS BLOG FOR AN ADVENTURE IN 2019! 🙂 Enter your email and I’ll keep you posted!

Chronological means: (of a record of events) starting with the earliest and following the order in which they occurred; sequential, consecutive, in sequence, in order of time. It’s an interesting way to approach the Word of God – and we’ll be finished in one year! Sometimes changing up the routine gives us a new boost – let’s change up our Bible reading in 2019, and see how the Lord speaks to our hearts!

Starting tomorrow and every day (yep, EVERY DAY), I’ll post a short daily blog taking us through the entire Bible in chronological order in 2019.  Have your Bible handy – I’ll give you a little list of what passages to read each day, and then tell you briefly when stood out to me as I read.  You can comment what stood out to you in your reading, and we’ll have a conversation together, letting “iron sharpen iron” (Proverbs 27:17) all year long!

Want to go on this adventure with me?  Click on the “follow” button down there in the bottom right corner – you’ll get an email when I post (EVERY morning during 2019).  I’m making this commitment to you – and maybe that will encourage you to make this commitment with me to God and to His Word.

The Bible itself is a treasure, able to change your thinking, able to change your life – and I’m praying that we’ll discover it together in 2019!  Click the follow button and let’s do this! ❤

Much love, Jennifer 🙂

YOU’LL WANT TO CLICK THE “FOLLOW” BUTTON AND FOLLOW THIS BLOG FOR AN ADVENTURE IN 2019! 🙂 Enter your email and I’ll keep you posted!

2 Corinthians 9:15 tells us, “thanks be unto God for is indescribable gift!” I love that!  One of many gifts that God offers to us is His Holy Word. Throughout 2019, we’re going to go through the Bible in chronological order – reading events in the order they happened historically.  You’ll find that this “rearranging” of the order will keep you on your toes – it’s hard to “skim” when you aren’t sure what will happen next! I love it, and I hope you will too!

Every day (yep, EVERY DAY), I’ll post a short daily blog taking us through the entire Bible in chronological order in 2019.  Have your Bible handy – I’ll give you a little list of what passages to read each day, and then tell you briefly when stood out to me as I read.  You can comment what stood out to you in your reading, and we’ll have a conversation together, letting “iron sharpen iron” (Proverbs 27:17) all year long!

Want to join me on this journey? Click the “follow” button down there in the bottom right corner – you’ll get an email when I post (EVERY morning during 2019).  I’m making this commitment to you – and maybe that will encourage you to make this commitment with me to God and to His Word.

The Bible itself is a treasure, able to change your thinking, able to change your life – and I’m praying that we’ll discover it together in 2019!  Click the follow button and let’s do this! ❤

Much love, Jennifer 🙂

YOU’LL WANT TO CLICK THE “FOLLOW” BUTTON AND FOLLOW THIS BLOG FOR AN ADVENTURE IN 2019! 🙂 Enter your email and I’ll keep you posted!

Chronological means that we’ll read the events of the Bible in the order that they happened historically, not in the order that they are arranged in our usual Bible.  Don’t worry – I have my favorite study Bible too, arranged from Genesis to Revelation the same way yours is!  I’m not asking you to give up your favorite – I’m just asking if you want to try reading it in a new way.  Maybe we’ll see something we haven’t seen before!

Every day (yep, EVERY DAY), I’ll post a short daily blog taking us through the entire Bible in chronological order in 2019.  Have your Bible handy – I’ll give you a little list of what passages to read each day, and then tell you briefly when stood out to me as I read.  You can comment what stood out to you in your reading, and we’ll have a conversation together, letting “iron sharpen iron” (Proverbs 27:17) all year long!

Want to go on this adventure with me?  Click on the “follow” button down there in the bottom right corner – you’ll get an email when I post (EVERY morning during 2019).  I’m making this commitment to you – and maybe that will encourage you to make this commitment with me to God and to His Word.

The Bible itself is a treasure, able to change your thinking, able to change your life – and I’m praying that we’ll discover it together in 2019!  Click the follow button and let’s do this! ❤

Much love, Jennifer 🙂

YOU’LL WANT TO CLICK THE “FOLLOW” BUTTON AND FOLLOW THIS BLOG FOR AN ADVENTURE IN 2019! 🙂 Enter your email and I’ll keep you posted!

In chronological order, I notice new things – and I also notice the different perspectives that each author writes from.  Even though we have many different humans penning these words onto paper, it becomes obvious that they were divinely inspired.  Some were separated by location, some were separated by generations – and yet every word confirms every word.  Amazing!

Every day (yep, EVERY DAY), I’ll post a short daily blog taking us through the entire Bible in chronological order in 2019.  Have your Bible handy – I’ll give you a little list of what passages to read each day, and then tell you briefly when stood out to me as I read.  You can comment what stood out to you in your reading, and we’ll have a conversation together, letting “iron sharpen iron” (Proverbs 27:17) all year long!

Want to go on this adventure with me?  Click on the “follow” button down there in the bottom right corner – you’ll get an email when I post (EVERY morning during 2019).  I’m making this commitment to you – and maybe that will encourage you to make this commitment with me to God and to His Word.

The Bible itself is a treasure, able to change your thinking, able to change your life – and I’m praying that we’ll discover it together in 2019!  Click the follow button and let’s do this! ❤

Much love, Jennifer 🙂