Abraham Entertains Angels

Read Genesis 18:1-8
“And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat” (v. 8).
As a child, I often heard the advice not to make mountains out of molehills. There is definitely a danger in making things bigger than they are. But there is also an opposite danger — failing to recognize the largeness of the moment. Failing to recognize that opportunity is knocking, and may not knock again.
The writer to the Hebrews seems to have had this event from the life of Abraham in mind when he wrote in 13:2, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Abraham seems to have recognized that his guests were not normal travelers, and this was no ordinary moment. He seized the moment.
Our God is gracious and forgiving. And that is great because we all fail to recognize special moments at times. So don’t despair if you can look back on times when you failed to rise to the occasion. But live ready for the moment! Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the people and events He is bringing into your life today! (Gordon Snider)

Are you ready for the opportunities God may bring your way today?

This devotional is the Monday, October 30, 2017 entry of Opening the Word.

2017-11-01T08:22:00+00:00November 1st, 2017|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: |0 Comments

How to Take Advantage of Your Opportunity to Gain God's Help

In "Word Focus" William Sillings writes:

Cry out (kradzein — v. 47) means “to cry out or to scream.” Bartimaeus recognized his time of opportunity and began to go to work to get the most he could out of it. He did not sit by the roadside mumbling in his beard about how hard life was and how unfair it was that Jesus would pass by that way and not stop to help him.
He was not concerned about what other people thought right then. In fact, some of them tried to get him not to be so loud. They charged him (v. 48) that he should hold his peace. Charged (epetimen — imperfect) is a strong word, and the imperfect tense suggests “they continually rebuked him.” They told him to hold his peace (siopasoi), that is, to keep silent. In other words, the crowds kept telling him to shut up and quit his loud yelling.
But Bartimaeus was not to be denied access to this one great opportunity. There are times for refined decorum, of course, but this was not one of them. If Bartimaeus did not get Jesus’ attention this time, who knows how long it would be before He came that way again — if ever?

Discussion: How serious are you in taking advantage of the opportunity to gain God's help in your life?
Source: Miracles of Jesus: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 75.

2016-02-27T09:00:00+00:00February 27th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: |0 Comments

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