Genesis 4, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 

, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: REASON FOR COMFORT - January 23, 2025

When will the rapture take place? Some Bible students place the rapture during the tribulation, others after the tribulation. It seems best to position it before the years of trouble. Jesus compared this moment to the rescues of Noah and Lot. Noah felt no raindrops; Lot felt no brimstone. In the same manner, I believe Jesus will emancipate his church, and we will not feel the evil of the Antichrist.

Also, Paul urged us to “encourage one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV). How can we use the rapture message to encourage one another if we are going to face the Antichrist and the tribulation? If such were the case, Paul would have said, “Warn one another.” But he didn’t.

The rapture of the church is a reason for comfort and assurance. Yes, the tribulation is coming. But, yes, the church will be leaving. Consequently, be encouraged.

What Happens Next

Genesis 4

Adam slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and had Cain. She said, “I’ve gotten a man, with God’s help!”

2  Then she had another baby, Abel. Abel was a herdsman and Cain a farmer.

3–5  Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn’t get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.

6–7  God spoke to Cain: “Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if you don’t do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it’s out to get you, you’ve got to master it.”

8  Cain had words with his brother. They were out in the field; Cain came at Abel his brother and killed him.

9  God said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”

He said, “How should I know? Am I his babysitter?”

10–12  God said, “What have you done! The voice of your brother’s blood is calling to me from the ground. From now on you’ll get nothing but curses from this ground; you’ll be driven from this ground that has opened its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother. You’ll farm this ground, but it will no longer give you its best. You’ll be a homeless wanderer on Earth.”

13–14  Cain said to God, “My punishment is too much. I can’t take it! You’ve thrown me off the land and I can never again face you. I’m a homeless wanderer on Earth and whoever finds me will kill me.”

15  God told him, “No. Anyone who kills Cain will pay for it seven times over.” God put a mark on Cain to protect him so that no one who met him would kill him.

16  Cain left the presence of God and lived in No-Man’s-Land, east of Eden.

17–18  Cain slept with his wife. She conceived and had Enoch. He then built a city and named it after his son, Enoch.

Enoch had Irad,

Irad had Mehujael,

Mehujael had Methushael,

Methushael had Lamech.

19–22  Lamech married two wives, Adah and Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal, the ancestor of all who live in tents and herd cattle. His brother’s name was Jubal, the ancestor of all who play the lyre and flute. Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who worked at the forge making bronze and iron tools. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

23–24  Lamech said to his wives,

Adah and Zillah, listen to me;

you wives of Lamech, hear me out:

I killed a man for wounding me,

a young man who attacked me.

If Cain is avenged seven times,

for Lamech it’s seventy-seven!

25–26  Adam slept with his wife again. She had a son whom she named Seth. She said, “God has given me another child in place of Abel whom Cain killed.” And then Seth had a son whom he named Enosh.

That’s when men and women began praying and worshiping in the name of God.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, January 23, 2025

by Karen Huang

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

Today's Insights

We sometimes fail to consider the connection between suffering and spiritual growth. In Paul’s letter to the people in Corinth, he spoke of the eternal glory that our troubles bring: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

This isn’t the only place where Scripture states that our difficulties are actually beneficial for us. The apostle says in Romans, “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (5:3-4). James too tells us that the testing of our faith is for our benefit: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (1:2-4).

God’s Promises

What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

It was painful to see my dad losing his memory. Dementia is cruel, taking away all the recollections of people until there’s no remembrance left of the life they lived. One night, I had a dream I believe God used to encourage me. In the dream, He had a small treasure chest in His hands. “All your dad’s memories are safely stored here,” He told me. “I’ll keep them in the meantime. Then one day, in heaven, I’ll return them to him.”

In the following years, this dream comforted me whenever my dad didn’t know who I was. I’d be reminded that his disease was temporary. Because he was a child of God, he’d be permanently restored one day.

It also helped to remember that Paul described suffering as “light and momentary” (2 Corinthians 4:17). The apostle wasn’t underplaying suffering; he himself had suffered much (vv. 7-12). He was emphasizing that in the light of eternity and the future glory that’s ours in Christ, our troubles are light and momentary. All the glorious blessings we already have in Jesus now—and those we’ll one day experience—will infinitely outweigh them all (v. 17).

Because of God and His promises, we can choose not to lose heart. Even as we suffer, we can live each day in faith, relying on His power to renew us (v. 16). Let’s “fix our eyes” on His eternal promises today (v. 18).

Reflect & Pray

What suffering are you experiencing? How can God’s promises and all that you have as His child help you to not lose heart?

Father, thank You that my suffering doesn’t have the final say. You do.

What has God promised, and how can we learn to trust Him? Read here to learn more.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, January 23, 2025

The Unveiled Face

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image. —2 Corinthians 3:18

The most remarkable characteristic of a Christian is the unveiled face. Open and honest, hiding nothing, we stand before God so that our lives may become a mirror of his. By being filled with the Spirit, we are transformed. By standing unveiled before him, we become his mirror. It is always easy to sense when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord. We can feel the Lord’s own character, shining out from within.

The golden rule for the Christian life is this unfailing concentration on God. If God requires it, we must be willing to set aside our concerns for everything else—work, food, clothing, shelter, everything. The busyness of modern life tends to draw our attention away from God, darkening the mirror within. Usually, the thing that dirties the mirror is a “good” thing, a worthy concern. It is the good that is the enemy of the best.

Let other things come and go as they may. Let other people criticize as they will. But never let anything disturb the life that is hidden with Christ in God. Never be hurried out of the relationship of abiding in him. This is the one thing that tends to get pushed aside, and it is the one thing that shouldn’t. It is the toughest discipline we undergo as Christians: the discipline of keeping our focus on the glory of the Lord.

Exodus 7-8; Matthew 15:1-20

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Jesus Christ reveals, not an embarrassed God, not a confused God, not a God who stands apart from the problems, but One who stands in the thick of the whole thing with man. 

Disciples Indeed, 388 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, January 23, 2025

All Day Righteousness - #9924

Some days I wear a shirt and tie, because, well, that's kind of appropriate for the meetings I'm going to have that day. Now, you go home a little later and get into jeans and an old shirt. Why? Well, because I don't want to do all the work I'm going to be doing there in, you know, my dress up clothes. It will be appropriate for the work I have to do there.

Now, when I go to a wedding in a few weeks, I'll dress up for that. I'll get in my very best. When I go to the beach, No, I won't do that. I won't wear what I wear to the wedding. See, I change my clothes for the occasion just like you do. There is something I don't change no matter what the occasion - my skin. I change my clothes; I always have the same skin.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "All Day Righteousness."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians 10, and I'm going to read verse 31. "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." That's an interesting verse. What Paul's saying here is that living for Christ is so practical that you can even do it while you're eating or drinking; having lunch, having breakfast. It's that kind of practical thing.

A couple of Sundays ago I had preached at a church about giving God your best instead of giving Him just your leftovers. And a man came up to me very sincerely and said, "Ron, I really do want to give God my best, but no matter how much I try to do for Him, I feel like I'm never doing enough. You know, I've got my job, and I've got my family, and I've got a lot of other things, and I feel like I'm just never doing enough for Him."

Well, as we talked, I began to realize that enough meant for him doing more spiritual things. And that isn't primarily what the Lord is looking for. He wants to make more things you're already doing spiritual; not have you do more spiritual things.

Our problem is that we reduce our Christ-life to a compartment. We say, "Well, let's see. Here's my money, here's my friends, here's my family, here's my job, here's my recreation. Oh, wait, here's a compartment I have available. Yeah, that's for Jesus. I'll just write in Jesus there and now I've got my Jesus compartment."

Jesus is King of Kings, Lord of Lords. He is not going to be a compartment. He doesn't fit in a compartment. He wants to be in all the compartments; not have one of His own. He wants to be the Lord of all those practical areas. So, you're not adding a list of spiritual things to do. You're letting Christ make the things you already do His things.

So you drive unselfishly for example. You drive to the glory of God. You use your car to help others. You shop for Him. Maybe walking into that grocery store and trying to bring some joy and some love into the otherwise dull life of a checkout girl. Who knows?

Colossians 3:17 picks up the same theme when it says, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." And then it goes on to talk about what kind of wife you are, being a husband to the glory of God. It talks about obeying your parents, and as you're doing it saying to the Lord, "This is for You, Jesus." Fathering in positive ways that don't tear your kids down. It talks about employees working with all their heart as if Jesus were their boss. He is.

Your relationship with Christ isn't just some set of spiritual clothes you put on to do spiritual work, to go to spiritual meetings and then take off. It's skin that you carry with you into every area of your life.

Living for Christ is a style that you carry with you all day, everywhere, like skin.