Sunday, March 29, 2015

The sacrifice of Genesis 15

"The gospel writers note that when Jesus died, darkness fell over the land, and in that moment, we see the sacrifice God made in order to honor his promises to us. It is a reminder that he went to the grave to give us the skies, became alienated to give us a home, and experienced deep darkness to bring us into the light. In fact, this vision is what comforted Abraham’s fear in Genesis 15:1" (“Fear not, Abram, I am your shield.”)

Genesis 15 is a mysterious story of Abraham's asking assurance from God that He would give him a land that he had never seen. God represents Himself as a smoking pot and a torch, and Abraham experiences dreadful darkness. The quote above is from my Youversion devotional of reading the plan "Preparing our hearts for Easter." What an awesome God we are saved by, serve, love, and are sanctified by!  May this season prepare us not only for the mysterious gift of Christ risen to make all things new, but also the command of our God to trust Him, be at rest because of His sacrifice, and to live in holiness. My heart is so unholy, still, like a butterfly, being distracted by this flower or that, the visual things around me taking the place of the spiritual call for me to abide with and IN HIM. Lord, make our hearts whole and completely given to honoring You first!