“After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.’” — Genesis 15:1 (NIV) Reflection Genesis 15 marks a defining moment in Abram’s journey of faith — a conversation between God and a man who dared to believe the impossible. After years of wandering, battling kings, and waiting on God’s promises, Abram is weary. His heart questions, “What can You give me, Lord, since I remain childless?” God does not

Earnestly Believe That God Exists, That I Matter to Him, and That He Has the Power to Help Me Recover “Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”  — Matthew 5:4 “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”  — Philippians 2:13 Understanding Step 2 No matter how hard we try to keep everything under control, we eventually discover that we are powerless to control our tendency to do wrong and that our lives are unmanageab

Summary Genesis 14 is a chapter of both political warfare and spiritual revelation . When Lot is captured in a conflict among kings, Abram’s response becomes a model of faith-driven courage , integrity , and dependence on God’s justice  rather than human reward. In rescuing Lot, Abram shows what it means to walk in covenant loyalty — not only toward God, but toward people, even those who have made unwise choices. His encounter with Melchizedek, the priest-king of Salem, fores

🌿 Celebrate Recovery: Step 1 The First Choice — Realize I’m Not God “I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.” “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 5:3 (NIV) 💡 Introduction: Facing the Truth Part of our human nature is to resist change until our pain exceeds our fear of change. We deny, minimize, or ignore our pain until it becomes unbearable—and only then do we fin

Scripture Reflection After the famine and his humbling experience in Egypt, Abram returned to Bethel — “the place where he had first built an altar to the Lord” (13:4). Here, he called upon the name of the Lord again — not as a perfect man, but as one who had fallen, repented, and come home. This moment marked spiritual renewal, a return to the altar where his journey of faith had begun. Even the most faithful stumble. But true faith is not the absence of failure — it’s the w

1. The Call and Obedience of Abram At seventy-five years old, Abram’s story begins not with the comfort of arrival but the uncertainty of departure. The Scripture records, “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.’” (12:1) In Hebrew, the phrase “Lech lecha” literally means “go for yourself” or “go to yourself.” It implies that this journey was not merely geographical — it was deeply personal and sp

Scripture: “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark…” (Genesis 8:1, NIV) “Then God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark…’” (Genesis 8:15–16, NIV) Reflection The Hebrew word for “remembered” here — זָכַר (zakar) — means far more than simply recalling something forgotten. It signifies holding someone close to one’s heart, continually mindful, even in silence. God never forgot Noah. Through the chaos of the flood and the lon

When we read Genesis 6, we step into a world that looks eerily familiar — a world overflowing with corruption, self-indulgence, and spiritual blindness. Humanity had turned away from God, chasing beauty, power, and personal desire over truth, humility, and righteousness. 6:1–4 — When Desire Replaces Devotion The chapter opens with the “sons of God” taking for themselves the “daughters of men” based on outward beauty rather than inner virtue (v. 2). These verses reveal the beg

When God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,” He used two words — image and likeness. Not because He needed to repeat Himself, but to show how deeply we reflect Him. Image — that’s the visible resemblance, like a picture mirroring its source. Likeness — that’s the inner nature, the heart, the character, the soul. You and I were made to carry both — the outer reflection and the inner essence of God Himself. We are not random, not evolved by chance. We were ch