Quiet Time Archive
The Tower Of Babel
Date: January 06, 2009
Read: Genesis 11
Humankind, after the deluge, traveled from the mountain where the ark had rested, and settled in "a plain in the land of Shinar." Here, they attempted to build a city and a tower whose top would be in the Heavens, the Tower of Babel. The attempt to build the city of Babel with its tower, caused God to respond. He confused the language of the people, ultimately halting the project, and scattered them across the earth.
Interesting how God used lack of communication to stop their futile efforts to reach the heavens. Today we see all types of the same efforts in humankind to reach the heavens when God made that journey already possible through His Son Jesus Christ. Our lives become so complicated with nothingness and meaningless task just as in building this tower did at this time in history.
What has God used in your life to put you back on course? Lack of communication possibly?
Let your prayer be today to stay on course and not waste any more time in your life!
Published: January 06, 2009
Table Of Nations
Date: January 04, 2009
Read: Genesis 10
NOTE: Chapter 10 of Genesis is known as “Table of Nations”. All the divisions of the nations described in this chapter happen after chapter 11:1-9. Verses 8-10 mention Nimrod who was a powerful leader who evidently was the force behind the building of Babel. The name Nimrod refers to the title “rebel”.
Genesis 10:8-9
The very name Nimrod means “the rebellious one,” and this guy certainly didn’t disappoint. He was strong and powerful physically as well as politically. The translation of the text seems to imply that Nimrod thought he was mighty in God’s sight—that even God was impressed with him!
King Nimrod is a perfect illustration of another person Jesus warns us about…the Antichrist. Nimrod was strong and arrogant, and he ruled over the world, then known as Babylon. The Antichrist will also rise up in the last world system, and lead arrogantly against Christ, including hunting down God’s people.
More and more we see the spirit of Antichrist—those who oppose Christ and anything Christian—at work in our world today. But just as God has always protected His people, so will He protect you and me even in these unstable and somewhat scary times in which we live.
Our calling is to stand firm and continue being lights to a world that is slipping deeper into darkness. My prayer for you is that you won’t give into the fear that so easily pervades our world today, but instead, be a strong and mighty witness of the power of God to change a life!
STAND FIRM IN GOD’S PROTECTION SO THAT YOU CAN BE A LIGHT TO OUR DARK WORLD.
Published: January 04, 2009
God’s Rainbow
Date: January 02, 2009
Read: Genesis 9
After the flood God began to speak to Noah concerning the fact that his plan was for them to be fruitful and multiply and populate the earth. He promised Noah that he would never again destroy the entire earth using flood waters. In fact, God specified a sign that he would give to the world confirming his promise: a rainbow.
Each time we see a rainbow, we should remember that it is a special sign from God to remind us of his promise. We usually can see a rainbow if it has been raining and the sun begins to shine. I live on a mountain in southern Spain and often I have seen beautiful rainbows extending into the valley below. It always reminds me that God keeps his promises.
Sometimes when there is sadness or things just don’t seem to go the right way, we should remember that the sun will shine and God’s bow of promise will be on the horizon of our lives. As the psalmist said, “Weeping endures for the night but joy comes in the morning.” Look for God’s rainbow in your life today.
Published: January 02, 2009
This Is War
Date: January 01, 2009
Read: Genesis 6
God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. God said, "I'll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I'm sorry I made them."
See even God goes on record as having a bad year and starting over again with fewer people! Even with God in charge, they thought evil and did evil so why are we surprised to see evil when we are in charge, even in the church? Anytime you deal with people anywhere don't expect them to be perfect, it's an evil world.
My children and friends over the years have asked why I have endured the actions of so called Christians since I work in full time ministry - easy I explain, I see everyone including church members in leadership as the lost that the Bible describes who we are to reach. I was called to the mission field as a little girl and knew as soon as I became involved in churches in South Florida that I was in the mission field God had called me to so many years earlier.
When someone tells me they don't attend church because there are so many hypocrites there, I have to chuckle because I'm sure the grocery store they purchase groceries has equally as many and the schools they send their own children to have them too. See they are everywhere but we only stop going to church because of them and I realized as a young woman that was the ministry God called me to, the church. Are they full of hypocrites? Absolutely, but I want to reach those who enter the doors of our churches to find Christ before the hypocrites whisper in their ears all that is wrong with the church. We should all want to win that war, outnumber them and maybe even try to conquer them too. But not too many Christian warriors out there left, fortunately I work with warriors and though we may be outnumbered we are not yet defeated, we have lost a few battles but not the war.
My challenge for you is to get in the church and find the courage to defeat the enemy there on the frontline!
Published: January 01, 2009
Genealogy Of The Patriarchs
Date: December 31, 2008
Read: Genesis 5:1-32
While reading this chapter, I found it difficult reading. until I came upon verse 24. “AND ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD AND HE WAS NOT FOR GOD TOOK HIM. This is the only break in the chapter from the incessant comment “and he died” Only one other man is said to have enjoyed this intimacy of relationship in walking with God, (Noah 6:9). Enoch experienced being taken to heaven alive by God, as did Elijah later. {2 Kings 2:1-12}
Getting into God’s Stride
“Enoch walked with God …” (Genesis 5:24).
The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight (see John 1:35–37 and 3:30). It is painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him—it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God, there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride, but once we have done so, the only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself. The individual person is merged into a personal oneness with God, and God’s stride and His power alone are exhibited.
It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways. It was said of Jesus—“He will not fail nor be discouraged …” (Isaiah 42:4) because He never worked from His own individual standpoint, but always worked from the standpoint of His Father. And we must learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now—get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.
The above devotion was taked from the devotion “My Utmost For His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. (October 12)
Published: December 31, 2008