Tag: Genesis

Quick Bible Thoughts: Light

What if the God of the universe could shine light on your situation today?

And God said, “Let there be light”. (Genesis 1:3)

Did you know that God has been bringing light into darkness since the opening verses of Genesis?

Did you know that in heaven there is eternal light…no darkness at all?

I love the passages like this:

He bowed the heavens and came down with thick darkness under His feet. (Psalm 18:9)

They almost always show God stomping out the darkness.

If God was able to speak and bring light into the universe. If the heavens are so bright there is no darkness. What if the God of the universe could shine light on your situation today?

I believe God can. I pray God brings light to you today.

Love and blessin’s,

Flatland Dave

Quick Bible Thoughts: Bethel and Ai

Have you ever looked around and thought, “God, is this really where you called me?” I have.

Have you ever looked around and thought, “God, is this really where you called me?” I have.

Imagine that you are Abram for a moment. God called Abram out of his home country to show him the land God wanted to go give to him and his descendants. It had to be a amazing. And then we see this verse:

“From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.” Genesis 12:8

I believe there is something spectacular for us in the location of Abram’s tent. He build his tent between two locations: Bethel and Ai

  • Bethel – which means “House of God”
  • Ai – which means “Heap of ruins”

On Abrams journey to the promised land, he found himself between God’s house and a heap of ruins.

Can you relate? I can. In fact, I think this is a truth for all believers on our way to heaven. While we live on this earth, we see that our “tent” is between God’s house (heaven) and a heap of ruins (this world). This is where God is calling us on our Journey.

In fact, when Abram would look at the sunrise to the east, he would see Ai. And at the end of the day he would see Bethel. Much like us.

When we find ourselves in this place we can do what Abram did: make an altar. We thank God for His promise, and we stand between these two worlds with the same message God had for Abram – leave your homeland and go to a place God designed for us.

My friends, thank the Lord for the journey, knowing that you are in between God’s house and a heap of ruins.

Happy New Year!

Love and blessin’s,

David

God is not all you need

He was sipping his coffee, wrestling with loneliness. A kind hearted, growing Christian, who was finding support in God, and on the verge of giving up on humanity. He didn’t want to go to Church. They were all judgmental hypocrites, who didn’t care about him. His friends had pushed him aside. In his mind, all he had was God, and that was all he needed. He reflected on the old song, “You’re all I want. You’re all I ever needed” I encouraged him to continue growing closer to God in this time. And then, I told him another truth:

Friend, God is not all you need.

He looked at me as if I had blasphemed the Holy Spirit. His eyebrow went up. He must have felt that I didn’t understand. So, he began clarifying that God is all he needs. He needed to pray more, read his bible more. He didn’t need all the problems that come with having other people in his life. They just pull him down. I let him vent. I have been there myself. I get it. Then, I told him again.

Friend, God is not all you need.

Then, I brought him all the way back to the beginning. “Do you remember the first thing that was not good? It’s found in Genesis 2:18.”

Adam had God. For relationship, all Adam had was God. He knew God in ways we may never know in our lifetime. Adam had God. And God said “It is not good for man to be alone.”

My friend responds, “Alone? How was Adam alone. He had God?”

This is the very point God was trying to make.

Our relationship with God does not satisfy our need for relationship with others. We can have God and still be alone. And, that’s not good.

As I look at my journey as a Christian, I believe God has provided three very important things to help me along the way:

1) The Word of God, 2) The Spirit of God, 3) The People of God

Today, the focus is on the last point. Without other people in my life, I cannot imagine what it would be like. I’m not talking about going to Church on Sunday (although I do enjoy that time). I mean real relationships, with friends and family who speak into my life, provide Godly counsel, support me in my struggles, lift me up and encourage me to keep going. Sometimes, I even get to do that for them.

At my church, we say: Life happens in circles, not rows

Church services are great for motivation, encouragement and the wonderful reminder of God’s great love for us. But, they are not great for building life long, meaningful relationships with the people around us. That happens over lunch, dinner, coffee, or through a small home group. That’s where relationships happen.

Since the beginning, God has designed us for relationships.

This week, as you go about your planning, I encourage you to look at the people around you, and see them as a gift from God. Encourage them. Pray for them. Even for that one person you don’t like. Believe it or not, you need them. God knows, it is not good to be alone.

Productive weeks are like separating oranges

Do you have a lot of messy work weeks? Do e-mails and meetings hinder you from a productive work day?

If so, I recommend an honest review of your work by what I will call the “principle of separation”. It’s like an orange. Separating an orange the right way leaves a beautiful wedge for eating. Separating it the wrong way leaves your hands sticky and everything messy.

Continue reading “Productive weeks are like separating oranges”

He made the stars also.

I love the clear sky on a dark night. From our home we can see Orion some of the year. My family can sometimes be found laying on the sidewalk in front of our home looking up at the stars. There is something that happens as I pause and look up at the big dipper, little dipper, north star, and even the planets. Somehow, the problems of this world seem to fade as my mind looks into the universe.

What does the universe have to do with planning our week? Let me give you one thought! Details. Continue reading “He made the stars also.”

The most consistent thing in life!

I love sunsets. The shift from day to night. The end of a productive day. It’s as if all creation is preparing for rest. On Pinterest I have an album where I have pinned some sunset pics others have posted. Check it out!

The most consistent thing in life is change.

Continue reading “The most consistent thing in life!”

God hid my checkbook!

It was about 1998, and Missy (my wife) and I had lost our checkbook. We looked everywhere. Emptied her purse, cleaned out the car, and pulled the cushions out of the couch. It was gone.

We didn’t have any debit card, and the idea of a smartphone was a long way off. We had no way to buy anything without going to the bank and pulling out cash.

And the worst part, the youth group leaders we were working were inviting us to dinner after church. We told Terry that we would love to go, but we had lost our checkbook. Terry understood, and prayed. Then, another couple offered to buy our food that evening.

We pulled up to Ponderosa in Grandview, MO.  I opened the car door, and the long lost checkbook literally fell out of the car onto the ground!  WHAT? We had cleaned the car. I had gotten in the car through the same door. How did this happen?

I believe a few things took place that Sunday. Continue reading “God hid my checkbook!”

How to introduce something meaningful in just one week!

When I was a little kid we had a big family Bible. It sat on the bottom shelf of a hutch we had in our living room. I remember needing to move this huge book around as I was dusting the shelf.

Numerous times I would get ambitious, “I can read this!” I would begin, and get a few chapters into Genesis when it all became too much for me. In my life, I have probably began the first few chapters of Genesis 100 times.

These same chapters have become some of the most meaningful to me as an adult. For a while, each Sunday edition of my blog will expand on a passage from Genesis. These next few Sundays, I will focus on the first chapter, where we have a description of the first 7 days of creation, and what it can tell us about planning our own weeks.

Today really marks the creation of my blog.  Why not start “in the beginning“?

Continue reading “How to introduce something meaningful in just one week!”