Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

A New Hope

Posted by Karah

Pause

Think about a situation that seemed hopeless (and maybe still does). Praise God that all hope rests in Him. Rest in that hope as you begin today’s devotion.

Remember when it seemed like Frodo wouldn’t get the ring to Mordor? Remember when the White Witch killed Aslan and it seemed all hope was lost for Narnia?

Today, we come to a point in God’s story where it feels like all hope is lost. God’s perfect creation was shattered. Adam and Eve had been banished from the garden. Abel was dead, and Cain and his lineage of sin had spiraled out of control, wanderers with no respect for God. God had promised redemption would come from the woman’s offspring, and that seemed impossible. Or was it?

Read Genesis 4:25-26 in your Bible. Ponder these questions:

How did Seth’s birth bring renewed hope to Eve? Explain.

Now, read Luke 3:23-38. Pay close attention to verse 38.

In light of this lineage, how did Seth’s birth bring renewed hope to the entire world? Explain.

When have you or someone you know experienced something that you thought not even God could redeem? How has God shown you otherwise?

Why is it good news that God’s plan of redemption cannot be thwarted?

The Point

God’s redemptive plan isn’t limited by the sinful failures of humanity.

Respond

Think about those situations in your life that feel hopeless or impossible. Place your hope in God and His plan to make all things new. Journal your prayer.

Maybe you’re not a Christian and think your life is too messed up for God to redeem. You aren’t hopeless. Place your faith in Jesus for salvation today. See “The Gospel” on page 2 for more information.

Spend some time in prayer, asking God for the faith to trust His plan, even when it doesn’t make sense.

Behind the Story

The name Seth sounds like the Hebrew word for granted and the two are probably related. In Genesis 4:25, Eve attributed Seth’s birth to God’s mercy. God had granted her another son in place of the righteous Abel. Through Seth, God would fulfill His promise that Eve would be “the mother of all the living” (Gen. 3:20).

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Faith

Posted by Karah

Pause

What is faith? Take a moment to consider the importance of faith as you prepare to spend time with God today.

Reread Genesis 4:1-12, focusing on verses 1-4. Pay close attention to the words used to describe Cain and Abel’s offerings. Ask yourself:

How were the two offerings different?

Why is it important that Cain only gave “some” of his crops, but Abel gave the firstborn of his flocks? What does that say about Cain’s attitude toward God?

Now, read Hebrews 11:4 in your Bible.

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By this he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.” —Hebrews 11:4

Think through these questions:

According to this verse, why was Abel’s sacrifice accepted? What does that mean?

Abel’s sacrifice was accepted because of his faith, but Cain’s was rejected. What does that reveal about Cain’s attitude toward God?

What does this teach you about the importance of faith? Explain.

The Point

Faith was—and is—the key to pleasing God.

Respond

God’s acceptance of Abel’s gift centered on the attitude of the giver. Abel approached God with faith, holding nothing back from God, willing to sacrifice in order to honor and obey God.

Evaluate your attitude toward God. Are you holding something back from God? Have you submitted every part of your life to Him in order to honor and obey Him? Do so today.

Spend some time in prayer, asking God to help you to live in faith, like Abel did.

Behind the Story

The Bible doesn’t specifically state why God rejected Cain’s offering and accepted Abel’s, but it certainly gives us clues, like those found in Hebrews 11:4. Some theologians believe God accepted Abel’s offering because it was a blood sacrifice and Cain’s wasn’t. Other scholars believe Cain’s sacrifice wasn’t accepted because he didn’t give God his best, while Abel did. Hebrews 11, however, seems to suggest that it was neither the nature of the sacrifice or the quality of it that mattered—it was the faith in which it was given. Furthermore, 1 John 3:12 tells us that Cain’s works were evil, while his brother’s were righteous.

Chaos

Posted by Karah

Pause

This week, you’ll study Genesis 4 in-depth. Read over the entire chapter, prayerfully asking God to open your mind to what He has to teach you.

Last week you learned that God’s perfect world was no longer perfect. Sin had entered the world and left its mark on everything. In Genesis 4, we find a world mired in sin and characterized by murder, malice, and antagonism. Read Genesis 4:1-12 in your Bible.

“If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

—Genesis 4:7

Reread verses 6-7, then fill in the blanks on the chart below.

Verse Cain’s Attitude God’s Response

Genesis 4:5-6

Genesis 4:8-9a

Genesis 4:9b-12

Ask yourself:

Look at verse 7. If you were writing it in your own words, what would you say?

How did God demonstrate His redemptive nature to Cain in this passage?

God gave Cain a chance to do what was right, but Cain chose to let sin fester in his heart, which led to murder. When have you chosen to allow sin to fester in your heart?

The Point

God always seeks to offer redemption, but people often choose their own destruction.

Respond

Even in a world where sin had been given free reign, God was reaching out and inviting people to turn away from sin and follow Him. Praise Him for how He has done the same thing in your life! Be specific in your praises.

Consider how easily a bad attitude can lead to destructive sin. In what ways does your attitude need to change? What will you do today to make your attitude more honoring to God?

For further study, read 1 Peter 5:8-9. Journal about how these verses compare with Genesis 4:6-7.

Behind the Story

Cain’s destructive downfall began with a poor attitude, which escalated into destructive sin. In these verses, God is closely involved with Cain, instructing him and responding to his every move. However, even with God’s clear warning and wise advice, there is no evidence that Cain ever repented of his attitude or his sin. His poor choices continued to affect his family for generations

Broken

Posted by Karah

Pause

Have you ever broken something really valuable or lost something that was really important to you? Recall the way you felt when you realized what you had done.

With that in mind, read Genesis 3:1-7 in your Bible.

“Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” —Genesis 3:6

In an instant, sin entered the world. God had set a boundary, and Adam and Eve had chosen to live in opposition to Him.

Consider these questions:

Look at Satan’s interaction with Eve in verses 1-4. How did he tempt Eve to further question God’s goodness and the truth of His word? Why do you think questioning these things leads to sin? Explain.

Prior to this, God had been the One who determined what was right and wrong, but Eve took on that role in verse 6. If God is the Author and Main Character of Scripture, why is it wrong to usurp that role? Explain.

Adam and Eve’s sin didn’t just affect them; it affected the entire human race. How do you know this to be true? Explain.

Read verse 7. Satan had said that disobeying God would cause Adam and Eve’s eyes to be opened to all wisdom, but instead of power, that knowledge brought fear and shame into their lives. How does choosing to sin against God still do that today?

The Point

In Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin entered the world. As a result, the intimate relationship God wanted to have with all humanity seemed irrecoverably damaged.

Respond

Think back to the way you felt when you lost or broke something that was important to you. Now, stop to really mourn for what was lost in the garden and the depth of your own sinfulness. Be honest with God and repent of any sin in your life.

For further study of the affect of Adam and Eve’s sin on us, read Romans 5:12-21.

Behind the Story

In Genesis 3:1-6, Satan played on Adam and Eve’s God-given desires. The need to eat, appreciate beauty, and gain knowledge and wisdom were all legitimate needs that God had already provided a way to be met—by trusting Him. But instead, Adam and Eve chose to go outside of God’s will and find their own way to meet those needs. We sin when we tell God that the way He has provided to meet our needs is not good enough.

Freedom in Boundaries

Posted by Karah

Pause

Consider this quote from Ravi Zacharias to begin your quiet time:

“Pleasure without God, without the sacred boundaries, will actually leave you emptier than before.”

Think about your favorite sport. What are the boundaries or rules of that sport? What would it be like if there were no boundaries? Jot down a few ideas.

Life also has boundaries. Read Genesis 2:8-17. As you read, look for the boundary God laid out for Adam and Eve. Underline it when you find it.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” —Genesis 2:15-17

Everything God created had boundaries: night, day, land, sea. God’s good boundaries insured that each part of His creation would fulfill the purpose He intended. Humans were the only ones capable of crossing the boundaries God had set for them.

Why do we push against boundaries? When have you pushed against God’s boundaries?

Read Genesis 3:1 carefully. Compare Satan’s question to what God really said in Genesis 2. How did Satan twist God’s words and plant doubt about God’s goodness and provision in Eve’s mind?

How is Satan’s question meant to destroy the good God had created?

The Point

God created a world of boundaries meant to bring Him glory. But we chose to push against those boundaries.

Respond

To cross the boundaries God has set is sin. Think about clear boundaries God has set for His children in Scripture. Are you living in accordance? Confess any ways you are living outside of God’s plan and seek His forgiveness.

Eve became vulnerable to sin when she doubted God’s goodness and provision. What blessings of God do you see in your life today? How has He generously provided for you? Take the time to praise Him!

Behind the Story

The fact that God placed Adam and Eve in a garden is important. A gardener purposely plants and protects his garden. Without the gardener’s protection, the fruit or crops wouldn’t be free to grow to their maximum potential. God’s boundaries in the garden of Eden were intended by God to protect humanity and give us freedom to grow unhindered to our full potential.

Created for Community

Posted by Karah

Pause

Ponder this quote from John Piper:

“God created us for this: to live our lives in a way that makes Him look more like the greatness and the beauty and the infinite worth that He really is. This is what it means to be created in the image of God.”

Skim over Genesis 1–2 one last time this week. Count how many times God said His creation was good.

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.” —Genesis 2:18

Now, look more closely at Genesis 2:18. God wasn’t saying that man was in some way bad, but rather that He had created humanity to exist in relationships with others. God created us to live in fellowship with Him, but also to build relationships with other humans. God created community—and He created us for community.

Ask yourself:

God created Eve as a complement to Adam, someone with whom he could have spiritual, intellectual, and spiritual intimacy. She was someone he could be real with. Are there people with whom you can be absolutely transparent about your life? Who? Why did you select those people?

If God created us for community, what does that teach you about the importance of the church?

Why is it important to realize that God created us to live in community—in our faith and the work He has called us to?

The Point

God, the Author of our story, has hard-wired us for relationship. From the beginning, God created us to live in relationship with Him and with others.

Respond

Who do you know who is trying to “go it alone” in the faith or live in isolation from the church? How can you reach out to that person this week, helping them to experience and see the need for true Christian community? Jot down three ideas.

Who in your life needs someone to come alongside them and help them to truly live out their faith in a dark world? How can you be someone who invites transparency and honesty, while also pointing others to God?

For further study, listen to “Carry the Fire” by Andrew Peterson (Light for the Lost Boy, 2012).

Behind the Story

The word translated as complement in Genesis 2:18 literally means that which is in front of him, implying a counterpart or equal. She is to be a helper (from the Hebrew word ezer), which stresses aid and support—and is even used of God Himself in Scripture (Ex. 18:4; Deut. 33:7, Ps. 46:1). The man and the woman have different roles, but those roles are designed to support and complement each other perfectly.

A Caring Creator

Posted by Karah

Pause

Set aside anything that could distract you from focusing on God. Turn off the TV, your phone, and deal with anything that is weighing on your mind in prayer before you begin.

“God also said, ‘Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This food will be for you.” —Genesis 1:29

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.” —Genesis 2:18

Read through Genesis 1:26–2:25 carefully. As you read, look for the ways God showed His love and provision to humanity. Underline the instances you find and jot down any insights or notes. How do these examples help you to understand that God values humanity?

Consider these questions:

Look at your notes and the things you underlined in your Bible. What do these instances teach you about God’s attitude toward humanity?

Consider Genesis 1:28. Why is it important that God gave Adam a job and a sense of purpose? Explain.

Reread Genesis 1:29-30. How do these verses show God’s provision for Adam and Eve? Why is it important that you understand God provides for His children?

Read God’s command in Genesis 2:15-17. How does God providing a boundary help you to see His love and affection for humanity? Explain.

The Point

From the beginning of His story, God has never been distant or uncaring toward His people. God values us, loves us, and cares for us.

Respond

Think back over your life. Where do you see examples of God’s love? Of His provision? Of ways He has met your needs? Thank God for how He has worked in your life, giving you direction, providing for you, and loving you.

God sets boundaries in our lives because He knows what is best for us. Are there boundaries He has set that you’re trying to ignore? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any ways you’re living in opposition to God today. Confess and turn away from them today.

For further study of God’s provision and love for you, read Matthew 6:31-32; Luke 12:24; and Philippians 4:19.

Behind the Story

Genesis 2:4 includes the first use of God’s personal name, denoted as Lord, in English. The Hebrew spelling is transliterated as YHWH. The Jews considered the name to be so sacred that they would not allow themselves to say it. Its actual pronunciation is unknown, but suggestions include Yahweh and Jehovah.

In His Image

Posted by Karah

Pause

Read through Genesis 1–2 again today. Praise God for the creativity you see in His creation and thank Him for creating you.

What are some things that people think set them apart from the crowd?

Circle all that apply.

Income Hard work/effort

Intelligence Passion for something

Skills Family

Popularity Appearance

Relationships Power

“Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” —Genesis 2:7

Now, read Genesis 1:26-27 again. As you read, think about who or what is being set apart from the rest of creation in these verses. Consider these questions:

Of all the things that God created, only humans are made in His image. How does that set us apart from other created things?

What does that fact teach you about the kind of relationship God wants to have with us—even from the very beginning?

Read Genesis 2:4-7,18-22 in your Bible.

What examples of the set-apart, intimate relationship God wants to have with His children do you see in these verses? Explain.

Why is it important that we recognize that from the very beginning we were made to know God personally and be in fellowship with Him?

The Point

God, the Author and Main Character of Scripture, created us to be in relationship with Him.

Respond

Meditate on this thought: God created humanity in His image even though He knew—even in the very act of creation—that He would have to redeem us.

God wants to have a personal relationship with you and provided the way through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Place your faith in Him.

As Christians, God is continuing to conform us to His image, the likeness He has shown us in Jesus (Rom. 8:29). How can you see God at work in your life? If you don’t see God conforming you into His likeness, ask the Holy Spirit to give you spiritual eyes to see God at work or reveal any sin that is disrupting your relationship with Him.

Behind the Story

The creation of humanity is the pinnacle of God’s creative work. This is shown in that it was His final creative act, along with the personal nature of the way He created man and woman. In addition, of all God’s creation, only humans are said to be made in His image.

Three-In-One

Posted by Karah

Pause

Focus your mind on God and who He is. Listen or sing your favorite worship song to Him as an act of worship. Try “The Earth s Yours” by Gungor (Beautiful Things, 2010).

Read through Genesis 1:1-27 in your Bible, then focus on verses 26-27.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.” —Genesis 1:26-27

Ask yourself:

What do these verses reveal to you about the main character of Scripture? Explain.

Focus on verses 2, 26, and 27. How do these verses suggest the Trinity? Why is that important?

Now, read Colossians 1:15-20 in your Bible.

What was Jesus’ role in creation? Explain.
Why is it important to recognize that the God who created the world and set redemption into motion is a three-in-one God?

The Point

The Author of the story is our threefold God. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all active in creation—and redemption.

Respond

It’s easy to think that Jesus and the Holy Spirit didn’t enter the story until much later, but it is our threefold God—Father, Son, and Spirit—who set the world into motion, beginning with creation.

Praise God in all three Persons for their involvement in creation and the story of redemption.

Think about your personal story of redemption. Thank each Person of the Trinity for their role in bringing you into a relationship with the Father through the Son, empowered by the Spirit.

For further study, read John 1:1-13.

Behind the Story

The original audience of Genesis 1-2 would not have recognized Genesis 1:26-27
as a reference to the Trinity, since that concept wasn’t fully revealed until later in redemptive history. While theologians caution that we cannot derive the entire doctrine of the Trinity from one use of a plural pronoun, we can derive that there is plurality within the Godhead. This passage is the first of four Old Testament passages where the plural is found in divine dialogue. Genesis 3:22, 11:7, and Isaiah 6:8 are the others.

GODHEAD (n.) =Word used to refer to the three Persons of the Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

All to Bring Him Glory

Posted by Karah

Pause

You will be living in Genesis 1 and 2 this week. Skim over it this morning, asking God to open your eyes to what He has to teach you.

“Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” —Genesis 1:24-25

Writers create a setting in which to tell the story. It provides the backdrop for the story, but also sets the mood. Read Genesis 1:1-25 in your Bible. What does this passage tell you about the setting God created for His story?

Dig deeper by thinking through these questions:

Think about what you learned yesterday. How do these verses further acknowledge God as the main character of Scripture? Explain.

Note all the times God said that His creation was good in these verses. What does that help you to understand about the world God had created? Why?

God had created a perfect world where all things proclaimed His glory and worked according to His intention. While the world we live in bears the scars of sin, how do you see glimpses of that perfect world’s beauty and harmony today?

The Point

God created a perfect setting in which His story would unfold, one where His creation could experience the joy of His presence and glorify Him.

Respond

Creation was meant to bring glory to the Creator. Think about the glimpses of beauty and harmony you see in the world today that you just listed. Praise God for the ways you see even creation giving glory to Him. Sketch or record your prayer in your journal.

For Further Study:

Read Psalms 19 and 148; Isaiah 55:12; and Romans 1:20.

Behind the Story

In the pagan cultures that surrounded God’s people, the moon and sun were worshiped as gods. That may be why the usual Hebrew words for moon and sun are avoided in the Genesis creation account. (See Gen. 1:16.) It is clear from this account that the sun and moon are not deities to be revered or worshiped, but rather made to serve God and humanity.

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I know you miss camp. Since you can't be with us, we want to bring a little Camp Crestridge to you each week. Here you will find weekly devotions to remind you of what you learned about God; news, pictures, and videos of camp as we make improvements or just do something ridiculous; and even some posts from the road as we travel to see you and your friends!
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