Know God's Word 01.03.09

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Saturday January 3, 2009, we are continuing our studies on the book of Genesis.

Today's Focus: The importance of reading for ourselves exactly what God has said in the Bible rather than relying on others. Unless we know God's Word for ourselves we can not know the truth.

Today's Bible Reading: Genesis Chapters 7-9, You can click the link to read the chapters or copy and paste this link into your browser: biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%207-9&version=9

Highlights of Today's Reading: Noah and his family; the ark; the flood; and God's rainbow covenant.

Noah was able to save his family and preserve all mankind because of his faith in the spoken Word of God. It was God's Word that led him to build the ark. "And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him." (Genesis: 7:1-5). The flood was God's method of judgment against the wickedness of men and a means of separating the family of Noah from sin's corruption.

The ark had only one door, symbolic of Christ who is the only door to reach God. There came a day, prior to the flood, when they were told to enter the ark, and shut themselves in. "In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in." (Genesis 7:13-16). Just as Noah was able to rest within the ark, secure from the waters of death, so we can be assured of spiritual rest, for our lives are hidden with Christ in God.

The ark was a secure refuge from certain death; it was a type of Christ, who provides spiritual refuge for all believers. Noah's obedience to the command of God to build and enter the ark typifies the believer who, by faith, receives Christ and is saved from judgment (spiritual death).

As soon as he was once more on dry land Noah built an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings to Him. "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done." (Genesis 8:20-21).

The obedience of faith and the worship of God go hand in hand. Just as Noah was not given an exact day when the flood would come, neither do we know the exact day when Jesus will come. That is why it is of great importance to be ready and prepared, we can not wait until it is the perfect time for us to be able to submit ourselves to God, the time is now.

Christ is Revealed: "And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation." (Genesis 7:1). Jesus is our ark that keeps us safe from the flood of the world.

Today's Psalm: 62:7
"In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Help me to remain faithful to You and your calling upon my life. Strengthen and grow my faith as I daily search Your Scriptures and apply their truths to my spiritual walk. As I go through the trials and experiences of my earthly journey would You fix my eyes and my ever-wandering heart upon Jesus. When the howling winds and forceful storms of this life attempt to shipwreck my faith may they instead prove my faith to be more than sufficient to withstand the continual assaults from the enemy. Because I take refuge in Jesus my spiritual foundation is firm, always dependable, and leads me to glorious victory. In Jesus' name........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.
God bless,
Christina

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