One Year Bible - January 22

1/22/2021
Post Written by
Tiffany Kennedy | Faith Lightens Our Load

Scriptures to read:

Luke 17; Genesis 29:1-30; Psalm 22


Have you ever tried to control the outcome of something so much that even though you recognize no matter how much you think about it or stress out, there isn't much you can do that will actually change the outcome? I struggle with this on an almost daily basis, and in reading Luke 17 it was hard for me to grasp the connection between faith and forgiveness until I took some time to really study what that meant. Lack of faith or failing to submit a given area of my life to God usually stems from my own perceived need to control that area of my life. The more I studied this passage, the more I realized how deeply intertwined faith and forgiveness actually are. Having faith means that instead of hanging on to my anger or holding a grudge, I am able to trust that God will intercede on my behalf and that He can handle the situation a lot better than I would.

In Genesis 29:1-30, we see an interesting example of how disobeying God doesn't derail His plan for our life, it just affects how we end up experiencing it. I've read Genesis 29 many times, but never noticed the similarities between Laban’s deception towards Jacob by making him serve more time to marry his daughter Rachel and the deception Jacob put upon his father Isaac and his brother Esau by stealing Esau's blessing. Even though God worked through this situation and brought good out of it through Jacob's eventual marriage to Rachel, that doesn't change the fact that Laban and Jacob disobeyed God through some of their decisions and made life a lot harder on themselves as a result.

I think a lot of us can relate to this, and I know I've made some pretty unwise decisions because I either think I know better than God or I just want to do things my way. Every time I've done so however, it feels like an uphill battle and is a lot more difficult than submitting to God would have been in the first place. Looking back on my life, it's amazing to see that despite those bad decisions and times that I've intentionally (or unintentionally) disobeyed, He has still worked through that and desires a personal relationship with me! That kind of love is beyond all comprehension, that when we were actively disobeying Him, He loved us as much as He does when we are actively seeking Him.


Memory Verse: All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. - Psalm 22:27-28

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your magnificence and for making something beautiful out of situations that may seem hopeless. Please help me to trust in Your plan and to have faith, even when things aren't clear. Only You are able to work through the most painful and dark situation and turn it into something good, and help me to have faith in that reality. Thank you for loving us unconditionally and for inviting us daily into a friendship with you!