Today’s Verse: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. ~Genesis 35:3 Jacob made a costly mistake in moving down to Shechem. From the moment he pitched his tent there, one mishap after another happened. The final blow was when Simeon and Levi took swords and killed all the incapacitated men of Shechem. Jacob told his sons, “Ye have troubled me to make me

Today’s Verse: And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. ~Genesis 24:56 Perhaps one of the most frustrating thigs for me is when I encounter an unexpected delay. A delay could hinder you from being at an appointment at a certain time or receiving an answer that you were anticipating at a certain time, could be through travel plans that are interrupted, or could be an arrival that is put off. We try to

Today’s Verse: And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. ~Genesis 30:8 Wrestling is one of the oldest contact sports. Two opponents grapple each other to determine which has the finesse, strength, and technique to make the other lose by points or submission. Wrestling requires a lot of endurance and adaptability. No wrestling match is ever light. They are always intense. We see some valuable

Today’s Verse: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. ~Genesis 28:22 Jacob set off for a journey to find a wife in the country of his uncle Laban. On the first night of his journey, he stopped to rest. He chose some stones that he used as a pillow for his head. That sounds somewhat hard on the neck and head for me, but that’s what the Scripture tells us. He had an incredib

Today’s Verse: And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. ~Genesis 28:12 I think most adults and children are fascinated by firetrucks and the all the equipment and devices on them. I have always been especially intrigued with the long fire trucks that carry the extended ladders. These ladders can enable a firefighter to reach great, extended heights for rescue purp

Today’s Verse: And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. ~Genesis 26:18 In San Leandro, many of the homes have wells on the property. While the well water is not drinkable for consumption, it is usable for irrigation and watering plants. Long before modern-day water supply chan

Today’s Verse: And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. ~Genesis 24:63 Camels are widely mentioned in the Bible. We find camels mentioned 59 times in the Bible, and eighteen of these mentions are in Genesis 24. Jesus used camels as analogies in His teaching. They were a symbol of a man’s wealth. They were a useful means of transportation. Their coarse skin and hair was worn as clothin

Today’s Verse: And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on. ~Genesis 24:33 Sometimes, when little children throw a fit, they might tell their parents, “I’m not hungry,” or, “I’m not eating.” That, more or less, is a child’s stubborn reaction of disapproval of a parent’s decision. While we might smile at a child’s reaction, we might consider an adult’s response as being more serious. Let us see les

Today’s Verse: And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. ~Genesis 21:15 The bottled water business is very big business all over the world. Having the availability of water that has been filtered and is clean is a concern for many of us. These days, in order to save on costs and avoid recycling, many people have bought water bottle containers that can be repeatedly refilled, keep the water at a constant temperature, and prevent the

Today’s Verse: And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: ~Genesis 19:12 It is said, “Statements accuse, but questions convict.” In Genesis 19:12, we see one of these convicting questions. It was asked of a man who got his roots settled in too deep in the city in which he lived, and he now faced the prospect of losing everything, including his family. T

Today’s Verse: Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. ~Genesis 18:14 While growing up, children can sometimes get exasperated with new responsibilities or projects. If something poses challenges in making them think and keep working away, they might react by saying, “This is too hard.” Something “too hard’ might be a perception on our part. On the other hand, something too h

Today’s Verse: And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. ~Genesis 17:1 There are times in our life when things seem murky and unclear. However, we are greatly encouraged, strengthened, and renewed when we come to the place of keen understanding and that which was obscure becomes as clear as the day for us. Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. Through his sel

Today’s Verse: And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. ~Genesis 16:7 Our common reaction to hostility, harsh treatment, and rejection is to leave the place where we are and reside where we can be away from all of this. Someone who lives in a neighborhood where there is a continued increase in break ins, burglaries, crime, home invasion, and robberies will resort to moving away in the hope of finding saf

Today’s Verse: After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. ~Genesis 15:1 The Bible has many wonderful lessons for us about the faith of Abraham. He was strong in faith, not doubting the promises. The greatness of Abraham’s faith was because it was in the most high God. What made Abraham a great believer, great in faith, great in prayer, and great in his testimony was the simple

Today’s Verse: Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: ~Genesis 12:1 When my children were young, I had to remind them when it was time to go. This was especially true when we were going to church, going home, packing up for a trip, or leaving from an engagement that we completed. After 75 years of living in an idol-worshipping family in a pagan society, God told Abram

Today’s Verse: And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ~Genesis 4:4 Abel was the second son of Adam and Eve. In Hebrews 11, he is the first of the heroes of faith who are mentioned. His name means “breath.” David referred to his days as an “hand breadth.” The shortness of Abel’s life is embodied in the concept of a hand breadth. I think of the brevity of life and how important it

Today’s Verse: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ~Genesis 2:7 The COVID pandemic has caused all of us to focus on its impact on an affected person’s breathing. More serious cases of COVID have caused some patients to require breathing assistance including oxygen and, in very severe circumstances, intubation. Breathing assistance is meant to help a person until he is able to b

Today’s Verse: And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. ~Genesis 1:31 The Bible begins with an undisputed fact: "In the beginning God...." Everything that is points to Creator God: God Who is, God Who always will be. The Hebrew name for God is Elohim, which powerfully embodies the triune Godhead. It implies absoluteness, perfection, and completeness. He is God powerful, God personal, and God p

Today’s Verse: And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: ~Genesis 18:3 In tennis, players yell out, “Serve” to indicate that the one who has the tennis ball is about to hit it toward his opponent. I have always thought that was an awkward word to announce that the ball is being "served” to the opponent, but on the other hand, it represents a powerful image of the fervor in which we should serve our Lord. Our serv

Today’s Verse: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: ~Genesis 45:10 One of the most touching stories in the Bible is when Joseph is reunited with his brothers and father. It is a beautiful and powerful picture of the unfolding of God’s plan for us after we get saved. Getting saved is when we are reconciled to God. Being saved is abo