Daily Devotional

Scripture: Genesis 33: [5] Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”

Observation: There are so many problems with families these days. The way we treat our children is a shame and yet this one of the most priceless gifts God has given us. I wonder if we started looking at our children as gifts from God if we would treat them better. I know I look at my wife and know that my master as entrusted His servant with His daughter, Would we care for our children better and spend more time and be more thankful for them if we knew they were God’s.

Application: Everything I have is from God and everyone I will meet was created by my Father. I need to look at everything I have as on loan from my master and I will be held accountable one day on what I did with it. God will judge me in part on how I treated His daughter that He blessed me with. Also the gifts and talents I have are all from God and He will know if I multiplied them to His glory or not.

Prayer: My Lord and my Master I thank you for all that you have given your servant. May I take nothing for granted and treat everything as yours. Give me a heart like Jesus for all you put in my path. May I treat each one with love knowing they are yours.

Scripture: Genesis 32: [10] I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups.

Observation: I always think I deserve better or people should treat me better, but in truth I am unworthy. I am unworthy of all the blessings God has given me and there has been so many. I am even unworthy to be alive after the way I treated others and disrespected God. There is nothing I deserve that is good, but yet God continues to bless and protect me. I am unworthy of this life my Lord has blessed me with and especially unworthy of the life that I will have with Him for all eternity.

Application: I need to remember each day that I am unworthy and not expect anything from anyone. I am here as God’s servant and my duty is to serve. I need to go out of my way to find opportunities to serve my master and thank Him each day for all He has given me and get down on my knees, “thank you Lord for I am unworthy>’

Prayer: My Lord I do not understand your love and grace, but I thank you for all you give me. I’m only here because you desire it so and I will never be worthy of your love. Help me be the servant you call me to be and draw me close to you and use me to draw others close to you. I love you Lord.

Scripture: Genesis 31: [42] If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”

Observation: I take for granted that I’m here safe and healthy only because of God’s protection. I don’t take care of myself and I’ve put myself in harm’s way on several occasions and yet I’m still here. God has answered so many prayers and has taken care of all of my needs, but the only reason Satan hasn’t been able to put a stop to my life is because of God’s hand of protection. Every morning that I wake up it’s only because God allows it.

Application: I need to stop thinking I can do things on my own and that I have control over things around me. God has chosen that I be here at this time and place and that He has a purpose for my life. As long as I follow Him He will keep me safe and there is nothing for me to fear, because whatever may happen to me God is in control.

Prayer: My dear Father I thank you for your love and protection in my life and I ask you to continue to guide me each day on the path you have made for me. Show me how to please you and accomplish the purpose you have given me. You are worthy of all of my love, praise and worship.

Scripture: Genesis 30: [20] Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.

Observation: If we tried to count all the precious gifts God has given we would lose track. It’s seems the only ones we recognize as being precious is the ones that we want for ourselves, but what about all the other precious gifts God gives us to use for others or that He gives us to remind us that He loves us. I know I’m very self-centered and only recognize those gifts that benefit me until I stop and look back to see what God has given me and how I was able to use it to glorify Him and to help others. When I look back I realize those were the most precious gifts.

Application: I need to look each day to see what gifts God has given me and how I can use them to glorify God and to help others. I need to stop asking God for things for me and to start asking how I can be used by Him to be a gift to someone else.

Prayer: My Lord I thank you for all you give me and I thank you that I’m still be used by you. Please use me up to serve you and to touch the lives of others in your name. Bless me to be a blessing to others and use what I have for your glory.

Scripture: Genesis 29:35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

Observation: This is Leah’s forth child and now she praises the Lord. What has to happen in our lives before we praise Him. In revelations, in heaven, the elders praise God day and night and yet here there are only certain moments we choose to praise Him. It seems only when something good happens to us that He is worthy of our praise and we don’t realize all the good that happens to us each day.

Application: I need to praise God because He is worthy and not because He has done something for me. My life needs to be filled with praise for my Lord and Savior. A day shouldn’t go by that I don’t praise Him for the precious gift of life and eternal life with Him when this life is over. I sit here and look around to see all that He has given me and the way He watches over me each day. My Lord is worthy of all my praise, worship and love.

Prayer: My Lord I praise your name and you are worthy. You are worthy of all I have within me. Help me worship you and to show others that you deserve our worship every moment of every day. I love you Lord and may I show you each day the depth of my love.

Scripture: Genesis 28: [15] I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Observation: I have several promise books, these are scriptures with God’s promises in them. I would go through them from time to time to see what promises there are for different situations, then I look back on my life and see all of the promises God has given me. He never leaves me and I know He’s there and I don’t know why He sticks with me, but He does. God has fulfilled so much in my life and asks so little.

Application: Most promises have a condition, something I need to do before God fulfills it. I need to be doing the things He calls me to do, not for more blessings, but to show God how much I appreciate what he has already given me. I’ve broken my word so many times, but I serve a master who is always faithful and I need to tell others about Him.

Prayer: Thank you oh heavenly Father for not quitting on me. I thank you that you love me so much and that you stay with me no matter what. I thank you for all you have given me and I ask for wisdom to know what to do to honor you. Help me run this race in a way that makes you proud.

Scripture: Genesis 27:20 Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”
“The LORD your God gave me success,” he replied.

Observation: In this scripture Jacob lied about what God had done for him to hide what he was doing to his father. How often do we use God for an excuse. We may say I believe it’s God’s will, but in our heart we know we are just making an excuse. God is not to be used as an excuse, or a lie, He is our heavenly Father and deserves all of our love, praise and obedience and when we use His holy name in vain we are sinning.

Application: I need to honestly seek God’s will and not make Him an excuse, but the reason for my existence. People need to see how God rules in my life and they will look to see if there is any discrepancies in how I live in comparison to what I say. I need to always be careful not to use God as an excuse, but to show others He is the reason for our lives.

Prayer: My dear Lord may I never use your name in any other way but in worship. May I tell others of your wondrous ways and live a life that others may want to know you. My Lord I am a sinner help me stay focused on you and that you will always be the only reason I exist.