My prayer is that you read and study these devotionals with an earnest desire to seek the Lord
¨¨¨ These devotionals are much easier to read on-line ¨¨¨
THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The first thing in the morning, right after you put on the full armor of God, ask God for His wisdom to prepare you for the day
“1 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? 2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. 4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.”
Proverbs 8:1-4 (KJV)
Genesis 25
We read earlier, in chapter 23, that Sarah, Abraham’s wife, had passed
Genesis 23:1-2 (KJV), “1 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.”
Some 35 years after Isaac married, Abraham took another wife, Keturah
Genesis 25:1 (KJV), “Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.”
Or, was she his concubine?
1 Chronicles 1:32 (KJV), “Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.”
It could be that Keturah had begun her relationship with Abraham as a concubine and was then promoted to official “wife status” after the death of Sarah
In any case, Sarah was the predominant wife chosen by God to establish His kingdom on earth
Genesis 25:5(KJV), “And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.”
1 Peter 3:6 (KJV), “Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.”
Abraham then sent all the sons of Keturah to the east away from Israel
Genesis 25:6 (KJV), “But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.”
When Abraham died, he was buried with his ancestors and Sarah in the cave of Machpelah which he had earlier purchased from the sons of Heth
Genesis 25:9-10 (KJV), “9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; 10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.”
For all likelihood, God’s promise to Ishmael established the Arab countries (along with Esau (Edom)
Genesis 17:20 (KJV), “And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.”
Genesis 25:18 (KJV), “And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.”
Isaiah 16 The Pain of the Prophet, Isaiah
Moab had turned away from paying homage to Israel so Isaiah is instructing them to return to their old traditions.
2 Kings 3:4-5 (KJV), “4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool. 5 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.”
God had spoken to Isaiah to help Moab return back to Him. We can look at this as God will never leave us or forsake us, He is constantly trying to pull us to Him.
Isaiah 16:1 (KJV), “Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.”
Though Moab had turned away from God, Isaiah understood the connection between Moab and the house of David
Isaiah 16:3-4 (KJV), “3 Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth. 4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.”
Ruth 1:4 (KJV), “And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.”
Ruth 4:17-18 (KJV), “17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron.”
Moab had turned into a prideful nation and was going to suffer the repercussions of their sins
Isaiah 16:6-7 (KJV), “6 We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so. 7 Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.”
This applies to our lives. We are often slow to see pride in what we think of as small things. It is not only the great and famous of this world who are in danger of pride.
Psalms 12
What the world has become
Psalm 12:1-2 (KJV), “1 Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. 2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.”
Psalm 12:4 (KJV), “Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?”
God will provide help and mercy to the oppressed
Psalm 12:5 (KJV), “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.”
Proverbs 8
Put on the full armor of God
The first thing in the morning, right after you put on the full armor of God, ask God for His wisdom to prepare you for the day
Proverbs 8:1-4 (KJV), “1 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? 2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. 4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.”
Listen in haste to what God’s wisdom tells you to avoid temptations
Proverbs 8:10-11(KJV), “10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. 11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”
Grow in the Word of the Lord 