Nairobi Chapel Ongata Rongai, the church where I am blessed to serve and fellowship in, is currently dealing with a series on "Getting Used to Possibilities". Below is the devotional guide I prepared for the first week of the series. Please feel free to use the material and also to share with your friends.
INTRODUCTION
How would you define faith in your own words? What does it mean for
someone to have faith according to you?
We will get to learn about some heroes of faith this month in a series
of studies that we begin with one of the first inhabitants of human history.
Our heroes are listed in Hebrews 11.
Faith has been defined as a confident belief
in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. It is
referred to also as belief that does not rest on logical proof or material
evidence. It is also known as the theological virtue defined as secure belief
in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.
Day One: Abel
Genesis 4:1-10
Abel offered God
a better sacrifice than Cain did and was commended as a righteous man when God
spoke well of his offering. Whenever we think of the Abel and Cain story we are
reminded of the first death in the history of mankind. Sad also, that this
death was the result of the first murder as well. This reference to Abel in
Hebrews does not, however, focus on the tragic end to his life, rather to his
offering which God accepted and the fact that it was driven by faith. This very
offering aroused murderous rage in his brother Cain and resulted in his death.
Carefully read Genesis 4:7 and note down any action
points that this verse highlights.
Food for thought: Have my offerings been offensive or
unacceptable to God in the past? Are my offerings acceptable to God at the
moment? Is there an element of faith also present or lacking in my life of
prayer and service to God?
Day Two: Enoch
Genesis 5:18-24
Before he was
taken, Enoch was commended as one who pleased God. It was the first time human
beings were noted to have sought a worshipful relationship with God and he was
the epitome. He never died a natural death and was taken up to be with God, he
was no longer seen on earth.
Our focus verse today is Genesis 5:24. What does it mean for you
to walk with God? What are the likely benefits of a closer walk with God?
Food for thought: How would you rate your walk with God? How would you describe
your relationship with Him? How can this relationship be further strengthened?
Day Three: Noah
Genesis 6:1-22
When warned about
things not yet seen, in holy fear Noah built an ark to save his family. Before
the time of the flood, there had never been rainfall in the land. The land was
watered by dew. This made it an unrealistic threat when people had of a flood
caused by falling rain. Noah had also never seen the rain fall yet he chose to
believe God. His faith was accompanied by obedience, and he found favor with
God.
We fix our eyes
on Genesis 6:22. Noah did everything,
that God commanded him to do. It was not enough to believe, it had to be
accompanied by action. Faith without action is dead, James 2:17.
Food for thought: How many times have you been in a position
that necessitated a bold step of faith? How did you respond to that situation?
Is there some area of your life in which you need to believe God against
seemingly insurmountable odds? Take the time to commit the situation to God,
then to boldly step out in faith and take charge of the situation. If God
commands it, then God accompanies it.
No comments:
Post a Comment