Why do we lie?

“But as he was approaching the borders of Egypt, he asked Sarai his wife to tell everyone that she was his sister!  “You are very beautiful,” he told her, “and when the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.  Let’s kill him and then we can have her!’  But if you say you are my sister, then the Egyptians will treat me well because of you, and spare my life!” 
Genesis 12: 11, 12 and 13

We want our children to know and obey the commandments.  One of them is you shall not lie.  This account of Abram asking his wife Sarai to lie for him is a very good example to share with our kids. God doesn’t honor our lies and He often allows trouble to come upon us because of them and problems to fall even on the innocent people involved.

Sarai actually was Abram’s sister, his half sister.  She was the daughter of his father but not of his mother. By withholding the full truth of their relationship in marriage he was not being completely truthful. Pharaoh took Sarai into his house.  As a result God allowed plagues to come on Pharaoh and his family and servants.  Pharaoh was suffering because of Abram’s lies. When Pharaoh discovered that Sarai was married he expelled Abram with Sarai and all that they had. God was protecting them because Pharaoh could have killed them.  Why did Abram want Sarai to lie?  He didn’t trust God to protect them.

A question to discuss as a family is,”Why do we lie and what happens when we lie?” Parents go first in this discussion.  Some reasons are: We lie because we don’t want to deal with changing for the good; we don’t want to take responsibility for our actions; we’re selfish and want to keep something for ourselves; we want to impress people letting them think we’re better than we really are.

 When our kids know the reasons why they lie they can better take responsibility for their actions in the first place.  Also as they understand the consequences, that it hurts them and the people closest to them, they will mature into telling the truth even if they lose out because of what they have done.  They will also make better choices so they won’t feel the need to lie. 

If one of your children is having an on going problem with lying it’s important you consistently keep him or her accountable in a loving way. Otherwise your child could begin to believe the biggest lie, that he is not responsible for his actions, not with people and not with God.

 

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 5: Today read:

Genesis 11:1-13:4
Matthew 5:1-26
Psalm 5:1-12
Proverbs 1:24-28
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

Walking in Jesus Footsteps

January 21, 2009

“Jesus traveled all through Galilee teaching in the Jewish synagogues, everywhere preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of Heaven.  And he healed every kind of sickness and disease.”  Matthew 4:23 The Living Bible

No wonder the multitudes loved and followed Jesus.  He helped them.  He gave them new hope teaching them how God wanted them to live.  He showed them that God cared about them.  Not only did Jesus care about them spiritually but He also cared about them physically.  He healed them. When we share Jesus with others we also need to make God relevant to their life.  We need to help them in their need right where they are.

Maybe we can’t heal them although I believe God still heals miraculously today and uses us His people in this way.  But there are many ways we can help people.  We can invite them into our home for a meal or make meals for the homeless shelters, make lunches for the unfortunate kids in the neighborhood, mend the neighbor’s broken fences, be involved in Habitat for Humanity.  Just look around your neighborhood; the opportunity is endless.

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 4: Today read:

Genesis 8:1-10:32
Matthew 4:12-25
Psalm 4:1-8
Proverbs 1:20-23

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

Overcoming Bad Habits

January 19, 2009

”Why are you angry?” the Lord asked him. “Why is your face so dark with rage?  It can be bright with joy if you will do what you should!  But if you refuse to obey, watch out.  Sin is waiting to attack you, longing to destroy you.  But you can conquer it.”  Genesis 4:6 and 7 [The Living Bible]

Instead of confessing his sin and repenting Cain became angry and envied his brother Abel. God assured Cain that if he wanted to he could get it right too.

Do you have that problem sometimes too?  I do!  Sometimes I struggle with overcoming a bad habit that is getting in the way of my success in some area of my life.  Then I envy the person I see doing well in that area I wish I was successful in.  The problem is mine.  I need to choose to overcome that bad habit.

  God says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. So I know that God still extends His grace to me saying that if I will only obey Him in what he has asked me to do then He will enable me to overcome and have success too.  It all ties in together with learning and applying wisdom and getting understanding from God’s Word as Proverbs teaches us. 

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 I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 3: Today read:
Genesis 5:1-7:24
Matthew 3:7-4:11
Psalm 3:1-8
Proverbs 1:10-19

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

God Will Always Be God

“What fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that men should try to outwit God!
“But God in heaven merely laughs.” Psalms 2: 1and 4 [The Living Bible]

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 2: Today read:
Genesis 3:1-4:26
Matthew 2:13-3:6
Psalm 2:1-12
Proverbs 1:7-9

Adam and Eve’s fellowship with God was broken because God is a holy God without sin and Adam and Eve had sinned. God has no fellowship with sin.  Man had to wait until Jesus died on the cross for our sins before we could walk in fellowship with God again without sin. When we receive Jesus the Holy Spirit comes into our life and lives in us.

In Matthew we see that Jesus is born and the way is being paved for Him to bring us to salvation.  God sometimes uses unusual ways to get through to us.  Imagine a man in camel’s hair and feasting on locusts preparing men’s hearts to come to Jesus.  Don’t be surprised by unusual ways God may chose to have you serve Him.

The Psalmist also writes about Jesus coming to bring the nations to God in verses 7 and 8.  We read about rulers even then rejecting the thought of God.  People around the world even in ancient times wanted to erase the name of God and reject the thought of God.  Now once again we hear in the news about a woman in England campaigning there is no God.  She believes that if we believe there is no God then we have the freedom to sin without guilt. Our hope is always in the Bible which gives us the truth.

In Proverbs we are so warned that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  We learn how to live and handle every area of our life well by knowing God.  His Word, the Bible, is a map for our lives.

This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

 

In the Beginning

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 [NKJV]
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Today read:
Genesis 1:1-2:25
Matthew 1:1-2:2
Psalm 1:1-6
Proverbs 1:1-6

I love the first verse of the Bible.  It lets us know that God has always been in charge of the world and assures me that He always will be in control. Did you notice that God spoke the creation into being?  Isn’t that awesome!

I often wish I could just say words instead of cooking dinner every night.  I’m sure my husband and son whose jobs involve building wish they could just speak houses to go up instead of tiring themselves physically. What do you wish you could just create by speaking words?

But when God made man He used His hands. I like to think it’s because He made man so intricately, and He gave us a soul.  We are made in the image of God.

And did you notice that God didn’t give the animals for food to man, but only plants.  It was only after the flood that God gave man animals as food.

In today’s reading we go on to Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew, the path of the righteous in the Psalms and heeding wisdom in Proverbs.  Living the Christian life is like that.  It’s not just one part but includes all areas of life. Touching on all these areas of the Bible reminds us that if we let Him,
 God’s  hand will be on all areas of our life.

God Gives Success

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”  Joshua 1: 8 [NKJV]

If you are looking for success in anything, anything at all, you have found the means.  It’s right here in the Bible.  God says that if you think about what the Bible says and apply it to your life you will have good success.

The Bible is a living book, not just a book you read.  When you read the Bible God speaks to you through it so God is building a relationship with you as your read His Book.  You get to know Him and what He is like but more than that as you obey Him in all things He empowers you to do that which you could not do on your own.  Isn’t that amazing?  Who wouldn’t want to serve a God like that?

I invite you as a parent and you as a kid to join me starting Sunday to walk through the Bible this year.  I will post the reading for the day on this blog. I challenge you to read every posting because I know you will come to know God and understand the Bible much deeper than you ever have before. But if you don’t keep up, don’t worry.  Come back and join me when you can.

The Key to a Perfect 2009

“The man who knows right from wrong and has good judgment and common sense is happier than the man who is immensely rich!  For such wisdom is far more valuable than precious jewels. Nothing else compares with it.  Wisdom gives:
  A long, good life
  Riches
  Honor
  Pleasure
  Peace
Wisdom is a tree of life to those who eat her fruit; happy is the man who keeps on eating it.”  Proverbs 3: 13 to 18  [The Living Bible}

When I talk to people I hear them say that money is the answer to life’s problems.  The homeless are where they are because they don’t have money: people with chronic illnesses struggle with finances because they can’t hold down a good job:  people who bankrupt do so because they are out of money. 

And yet the Bible plainly tells us that wisdom and understanding not money brings happiness. People should seek wisdom in order to meet their needs.  As the Bible says, you can have a long, good life, riches, honor, pleasure and peace if you have wisdom. We need good judgment and understanding.

What do you want most in life?  For kids it can be straight A’s in school, or the best athletic abilities, friends, and all the fun gadgets.  God has given us all specific talents and abilities that we need to develop.  Wisdom helps us do that.

 If you think you are wise on your own you could be setting yourself up for a fall. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  It doesn’t mean we are to be afraid of God but we are to reverence Him and walk in His ways, the Bible. Nothing we desire can even come close comparing to riches.

The Right Kind of Fasting

“We have fasted before you,” they say. “Why aren’t you impressed?  Why don’t you hear our prayers?  We have done penance, and you don’t even notice it?”  Isaiah 58: 3  [The Living Bible]

I am sure that you like I at times wonder why God doesn’t answer our prayers.  We pray for something for a long time. We even have others help us pray. We know it is a good thing which would bring glory to God and also meet our need.  But God doesn’t do anything about it.

Isaiah writes about God’s people who were struggling with the same question.  They prayed and even fasted. They too asked God, why He took no notice of their requests. God doesn’t leave us in the dark but gives us answers why at times He cannot answer our prayers.

Sometimes our lives do not line up with our words.  We can pray beautiful prayers and say beautiful words about God but our actions do not show God’s character.  In Isaiah the people did not treat their workers fairly.  The people’s prayers were all about self righteousness, saying ‘see how spiritual we are; we pray, we fast’, but they did not practice justice. 

God wants us to live the Bible and not just read and quote verses to others.  We need to build a relationship with others; especially the needy as Jesus Christ did, and help them as Jesus did.  In the Bible God stresses very much that we are not saved to just be happy by ourselves and other Christians.  We are to bless others.

As a kid you may wonder how this can apply to you.  You can be a friend to someone in school that other kids ignore or shun.  If you are a math whiz you can tutor that kid sitting across the aisle from you that doesn’t understand math or any other subject.  If your family goes skiing or camping you can invite a kid whose family isn’t able to do these activities. 

We often see kids on the news raise money for animal rights or specific health issues.  This is great.  So what about us as Christians?  Maybe God has a mission for you to raise money for the needy in your neighborhood or the needy in a foreign country.

Listen to what God says at the end of Isaiah 58. “If you …honoring the Lord in what you do…then the Lord will be your delight, and I will see to it that you ride high, and get your full share of the blessings I promised to Jacob… The Lord has spoken.”

Acknowledge God

“In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.”  Proverbs 3:6 [NKJV]

How do we acknowledge God?  What does that actually mean? In some other versions it says to put God first; but how?

When the Bible talks about knowing God it doesn’t mean just knowing about Him but having a relationship with him.  You might know your teacher or your bus driver but not actually know what makes him tick; what he is really like in the other areas of his life or what his life is all about.

To know God means to have a relationship with Him. It includes knowing who He is, His character and attributes, but also doing what He tells us to in the Bible.  We trust and obey Him in every circumstance in our life.  A good way to start practicing this is to ask our self throughout our day what Jesus would do if He was in our shoes in this situation.  Another way is to ask Him to tell us what to do and to plan our day for us.

So how then does God direct our path?  We apply His Word to our circumstances.  If we see someone without a lunch at school we share or let the teacher know.  If we get into trouble we tell the truth and don’t lie to defend ourselves. If we act on what God tells us to do He makes our activity or our day successful. Maybe it’s not successful the way we want it to be but it will be the way He wants it to be.  He has a plan to use it in a special way to bring Him glory and to bless us.

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