Genesis 16-17 Matthew 8-

Genesis 16-17
In Genesis 16 we learn about the lack of faith Sarai and Abram had in God's promise. How often do we fail to wait on the Lord for answers and come up with our own solutions???

Sarai wasn't happy with the plan she'd come up with and after her mistress became pregnant, mistreated her! God saw the misery Sarai's mistress was going through and sent an angel to speak with her and named the boy Ishmael.

17:9 God instructs Abraham that he and all his descendants and generations much keep the covenant God gave, which was circumcision. Anyone who wasn't circumcised was to be cut off for he had broken the covenant.

vs 16 God tells Abraham that Sarah will have a son. vs 17 Abraham laughed, doubting that a man and woman of their age (100 and 90) could have children! (Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born, this was 14 years later) When God says He's going to do something, we need to have faith and believe that He will fulfill His promise! That's wise for us to remember too, to not be full of empty promises! When we say we're going to do something, we need to do it! Let your yes be yes and your no, no. (Matt. 5:37 and James 5:12)

Matthew 8-
vs 10 "I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith". I want to be a person of such GREAT faith, fully trusting and relying on the Lord for everything! I want to be free from all doubt and worry, anxiety, anger, impatience, and have the peace of God in every moment of my day! I strive to be holy because He is a holy God!

This is the first time I really thought about verse 21. A disciple said to Jesus "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead. This is an example of how we're to continually put Christ FIRST in our lives! God's comes before family obligations!

With a word, Jesus was able to control the wind. This reminds me of Genesis, God spoke and the world was created!

The Disciples reacted in fear when the storm hit. A great reminder of the message this weekend! Tonight during Thrive, we had an earthquake and no one in the room panicked! It was great to see how we didn't go running for the kids classrooms to check on them, everyone stayed calm! We were in the house of the Lord, what better place to be during an EARTHQUAKE! :) What great POWER God possesses over this world!

Here's another example of demon possession in the New Testament- 2 men were demon possessed and violent and Jesus cast them into a herd of pigs. It also said the demon possessed men were coming from the tombs? I love how verse 31 says that the demons BEGGED Jesus. Jesus is in control despite whatever power the Devil may have!

Vs 34 When the people who were tending to the pigs ran into town, the whole town went to meet Jesus. They then PLEADED with him to leave. I wonder what was going on in their town that after seeing His power, they wouldn't want him there?