God’s Word is the only thing in this world that we can truly trust. It’s pure. It’s holy. And it’s medicine to our souls. Genesis is the birth story of life as we know it. It’s the beauty and purpose of nature and human relationships. It’s the pain of sin. And the beauty of mercy. Each heading below is a link to that chapter’s text. I’m so thankful to have you with me on this chronological journey to apply God’s Word to our lives as wives, moms, and grandmas. May God give us strength, joy, and wisdom along the way!

Genesis One

|| The earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface…and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.

It says that God’s Spirit hovered over Earth. The Hebrew verb used for the word “hovered” is the same verb used to describe a mama bird watching over her babies. (Love that! What a great way to envision our Creator watching over us.) He waited. He watched. Until just the right moment. AND THEN, with wild power and simple words, he flooded the darkest corners of the earth with light. In an instant, light overcame darkness and it changed everything.

When we pray for God to bring light to souls, minds, and circumstances, it’s easy to forget that we are actually praying to the One who CREATED light. The One who has POWER over darkness. The One who changes everything.

Creator of the Universe, I praise you for hovering over every dark thing I face. With wild power and in your perfect time, speak into lifeless souls, empty hearts, and dark days. Send your light to rush over, around, and through. Overcome darkness and change everything.

Genesis Two

|| The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man no helper was found corresponding to him. So…God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the Lord God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. 

Before Adam could have a wife who fit his needs perfectly, he first had to experience a void. To feel lonely. He saw that every living thing had a “corresponding helper.” Every bird and beast. Everything except him. And when he finally recognized this void in his own life, God created someone just for him. Sculpted from his midsection. Not from his head to rule over him or from his foot to be stepped on. But a corresponding helper.

It’s a familiar story, right? Maybe too familiar. Not only was the woman his perfect partner; she was born of a rib whose purpose was to protect his heart and lungs – vital, life-sustaining organs. She was his companion and protector. Is this true of me? Am I a companion who fills the void in my husband’s life? Do I stand ready to protect his heart? Or do I rush through life focused on what is inconvenient and (dare I say) annoying? Are my words more like honey or like vinegar?

Creator of Marriage, fill me with new joy for my husband and fresh energy to love him intentionally with my time and body and emotions. Convict me when I fail to protect his heart. Fill me with your patience and kindness. I love him, Jesus – may I live in such a way that causes him to thank you for the void that I fill.

Genesis Three

|| 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 and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened…and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

We are just as deceived today, as Adam and Eve were in Genesis. Not because we’re bad but because we have the same enemy whispering into our ears; promising excitement and satisfaction and victory. But only delivering pain and disappointment and defeat. So how do we respond when our kids “eat the forbidden fruit”? God gives us clear directions in this chapter.

He wasn’t content to let Adam and Eve wallow in shame and run away. He pursued them. When he found them, he didn’t pretend that it didn’t happen or tell them how disappointed he was. He simply confronted their sin and showed mercy by providing for their physical and emotional needs. He didn’t justify their attempt to blame everyone but themselves. Instead, he allowed them to endure the consequence of their actions.

Creator of Mercy, help me to learn from you. When those I love make harmful choices, give me the wisdom to confront…without shaming. The grace to show mercy. And the emotional strength to step back, never rescuing them from consequences meant to grow them up.

Genesis Four

|| Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? 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.”

This chapter tells the iconic story of Cain and Abel, and reveals some important truths for us as Moms and Grandmas.

First, it reminds us that our kids and grandkids are created with unique talents and purpose. Abel was a shepherd of flocks and Cain a grower of crops. These different paths indicate that they received guidance from God and their parents to do what they were uniquely equipped to do, instead of being crammed into some preconceived mold. We need to guide our kids and grandkids to use their skills and abilities to glorify God…uniquely.

Second, unmet expectations, negative emotions, and willful sin make us easy prey for the enemy. When Cain didn’t get what he expected from God, he was furious and painfully disappointed. He allowed these emotions to control him and lead him right into the enemies trap. But God gave a clear warning, “sin is crouching at the door: Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” When we wallow and pout, we become sin’s companion instead of its master. And we risk losing everything.

Finally, bad things have been happening to good people since the beginning of time. I can’t begin to imagine Eve’s pain when she learned that Abel was dead and that his brother killed him. The Bible never tells us her reaction. Maybe because it’s obvious. Maybe because the point isn’t her pain, but God’s sovereignty. The fortitude to soldier-on will only come when we accept this truth: Until we stand before God in Heaven, some things will never make sense.

Genesis Five

|| Lamech lived 595 years after he fathered Noah, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Lamech’s life lasted 777 years; then he died.

Something that strikes me when reading (or should I say ‘skimming’) genealogy is the casual, cold mention of men who surely had grandmas who loved them. I mean, “He fathered so-and-so.” End of story.

We spend so much time and energy investing in our kids and grandkids; talking about them, planning events, posting pics. All good things. Until we forget the uncomfortable fact that even the greatest family moments and members will fade into oblivion here on earth. It’s harsh, I know. But true. Few people live on in books. Fewer get holidays named after them. All are mortal. Because of sin in the garden, life on earth is finite. It doesn’t mean families shouldn’t matter or that we shouldn’t invest in them. But our families are created to glorify God…not each other. We are commanded to pass on God’s Truth…not family heirlooms.

Creator of My Family, thank you for the precious gift of kids and grandkids. Thank you for laughter and traditions and mutual support. May I always appreciate them. Always treasure them. But never put them before you. Show me when family becomes an idol….something I worship and value above you. Then give me the strength and wisdom to surrender and to love them only in a way that brings glory to you.

Genesis Six

|| Noah found favor with the Lord…he walked with God…and he did everything that God had commanded him.

Evil in the world broke God’s heart. It grieved him. He watched his children – who were created to obey, worship, and fellowship with him – become wicked creatures who were “nothing but evil all the time.” He saw Adam and Eve lose their perfect home. He saw Cain lose his family and his livelihood. He would watch as the humans he had once been so pleased with, lose everything…even their own lives. Sin and evil always leads to loss. But God never allows himself to be destroyed by the evil actions of his children.

In Genesis Six, God shows favor (undeserved blessing) to just one man. Noah. Not because Noah deserved it, but because he had saving faith in the God who created him. And so, God saved him, along with his family. It doesn’t mean that our kids can ride the coattails of our faith into heaven, but our passion for the living God has powerful implications. Our faith has powerful influence.

Powerful Father, the wickedness in the world is both frightening and infuriating. And my heart breaks when our kids experience evil – either by their own choices or the choices of others. Guard my heart God, so that I never allow my faith to be destroyed by what my kids go through. Instead, may my faith grow stronger because of it and lead me to find favor in your eyes.

Genesis Seven

|| Everything with the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils—everything on dry land died…Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark.

God’s words to Noah never failed. Everything God said would happen, happened just as he said:

  • (7:4) Seven days from now I will make it rain on the earth; (7:10) Seven days later the flood waters came.
  • (7:4) I will make it rain on the earth forty days and forty nights. (7:17) The flood continued for forty days.
  • (7:44) Every living thing I have made I will be wiped off the face of the earth. (7:22) Everything on dry land died.
  • (6:18) I will establish my covenant with you [Noah], and you will enter the ark with your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives. (7:13-16) Noah, his family, and the animals entered the ark and the Lord shut them in.

I can trust him to give me rest.  Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

I can trust him to work everything out for my good. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

I can trust him to be with me all the time. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you. Joshua 1:5

I can trust him to love me passionately. The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will renew you in his love. He will delight in you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

I can trust him to forgive me. I am the one who sweeps away your sin and remembers your sins no more. Isaiah 43:25

I can trust him to guide me and make me wise. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. James 1:5

I can trust that he created me with a good purpose. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

I can trust him to hear my prayers. This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

I can trust that I will live eternally with him. My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.

Thank you, God of heaven and earth!

Random Side Note: I wonder why God had Noah take all of the animals and birds on the ark instead of just recreating them.

Genesis Eight

|| The Lord said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of human beings, even though the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth onward.”

Our society promotes self-love and acceptance, and I believe the motive for this message is well-intended. Sadly, it couldn’t be more contrary to God’s truth in Genesis Eight. The best of hearts – even those of our sweetest grandbabies – are inclined to evil. Adam and Eve were created perfectly, lived in a perfect home, and their every want and desire was supplied. Yet. Yet, they were inclined to sin. Noah’s family witnessed the power of God in a way few ever have, but I imagine there were plenty of family “moments” on the arc. Can you imagine? Brothers, wives, and In-laws, living with an entire zoo inside a boat…for months on end, with no escape. It seems inevitable that their hearts experienced the whole spectrum of human emotion. Noah spoke with God. He saw God’s promises fulfilled again and again…yet his life ended in shame.

The unpopular truth is that we are only valuable and worthy because of Jesus. The flood didn’t change human hearts, but God promised grace. Graceful Father, overwhelm the hearts of our families with your truth and with your grace so they will not be put to shame, but will find joy and abundant life in your arms.

Genesis Nine

|| Noah, as a man of the soil, began by planting a vineyard. He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.

There are some pretty iconic similarities between Noah and Adam. Both were commanded to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” Both talked with God…knew God…and saw God’s promises fulfilled. Both crumbled under the temptations of the world. And both ended up naked and ashamed.

Not sure about you, but I’m usually pretty quick to judge the heroes in the Bible for being so easily tripped up. They had such concrete experiences with God. They witnessed concrete miracles. It seems like they should be incorruptible. Right? Obviously not.

It should serve as a powerful warning. None of us is exempt from the presence and power of temptation. Cain and Abel were born into a wicked world because their parents were disobedient to God; their lives were destroyed and the future of the world was impacted because of the presence and power of evil. Noah used the bounty of his crops as a tool for drunkenness. In fact, he was so drunk that he fell asleep naked in his tent, causing his youngest son to sin because he accidentally looked at him and then rallied his brothers to witness his father’s shame. It was this son’s decedents who became slaves of the Israelites (Judges 1:28).

Make no mistake, our actions have an impact on our kids and grandkids. When we lower our guard to temptation, we aren’t just risking our own ruin…but the ruin of our families. Jesus, thank you for grace…may I never take it for granted by living carelessly. Strengthen me against the presence and power of temptation and protect my family against the consequences of willful sin.

God’s Rainbow

Genesis 9 is also a decisive reminder that God created the rainbow as a visual affirmation of his grace and glory. And just as the enemy twisted God’s words to Eve in the garden, he has twisted the message of God’s rainbow. It was never intended to represent the love between human beings…or even to affirm God’s love for us. The single and most decisive affirmation of love is the death of God’s only Son on the cross, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God loves every person passionately and desires for them to spend eternity in heaven with him. Do we? No one is blameless except Jesus and it’s so important that we live as shining examples of love, speaking his Truth with compassion and joy.

Genesis 9:13-15  I have placed my bow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all the living creatures: water will never again become a flood to destroy every creature.

Ezekiel 1:28 The appearance of the brilliant light all around was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the Lord’s glory. 

Revelation 4:3 The one seated there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald surrounded the throne.

Genesis Ten

||  These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their family records, in their nations. The nations on earth spread out from these after the flood.

Again, I am struck by the lists of family records and how it relates to our view of families today. Noah had three sons, who had many sons, who eventually led to the birth of Jesus (through the line of Shem). His sons and their sons were spread throughout the earth. Not only is this what God planned; it’s what he commanded. It’s natural and healthy for our kids and their kids to spread their wings and leave the nest…to build independent and full lives that may not include regular chats with Mom or Grandma. It doesn’t mean they don’t love us. And it doesn’t mean we don’t continue to speak God’s truth into their lives. It just means that we can rest in the knowledge that they are in God’s hands and that he is watching over them….even when can’t.

Genesis Eleven

||  And they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered throughout the earth.”

Let us build ourselves a city…Let us make a name for ourselves…otherwise, we will be scattered. Allowing ourselves to be filled with pride and selfish ambition – seeking our own glorification instead of God’s – never leads to the satisfaction or comfort we’re hoping for…it leads to confusion and failed expectations.

The people conspired to achieve glory for themselves: Come, let us make bricks for a tower that will reach to the sky and glorify our names (vs.3). But God conspired to confuse them: Come, let us go down there and confuse their languages (vs.7). He uses their own words when responding to them and it reminds me of the way he speaks to Job:

“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind. He said: “Who is this who obscures my counsel with ignorant words? Get ready to answer me like a man…Where were you when I established the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who fixed its dimensions? Certainly you know!”‘ Job 38:1-5

He. Is. God.

We are not.

It’s easy to read about the people building the tower in Babylon and think, “Good grief, who do they think they are!” But is it entirely different from what’s in our hearts when we shop for home décor, plan vacations, or post pictures on Facebook? None of that is wrong…until it becomes our own ‘towers of Babylon,’ leading us to seek glory for ourselves instead of God.

Lord, may my plans never offend you or seek to bring glory to myself. YOU are my satisfaction. YOU are my reason. YOU are my strong tower.

Genesis Twelve

||  The Lord said to Abram: “Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”

There are two beautiful truths in chapter 12, that speak to my mom heart.

First, obedience is based on God’s calling, not our logic. Abram acted on the command to “Go,” before he could possibly fathom what was ahead, and his entire life story became an example of how spiritual understanding follows obedience…not the other way around. God doesn’t ask us – or even want us – to figure out the logic in his commands before we step out in obedience. He simply says, “Go.” What is he asking me to do (or not do) that seems illogical? In what way do I need to simply go?

Second, God will do anything necessary to accomplish his plan for our lives. Even though Abram and his wife successfully deceived Pharaoh into believing Sarai was his sister, not his wife, God intervened to fulfill his plan for Abram. He “struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues,” causing Pharaoh to send them away and this was the beginning of Abram’s journey back to the promised land. Do I really believe in God’s good plan for me? In his plans for my kids? If so, it’s time to open my hands and invite him to do whatever is necessary to accomplish those plans.

Side Note: The deception of Pharaoh was a half-truth, since Sarai was actually Abrams half-sister. Still, it was an intentional deception.

Genesis Thirteen

||  So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsman and mine…Separate from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

Abram was content to live with the leftovers. As the head of the family, he could have selected any part of Canaan he wanted, and given the rest to his nephew Lot. Instead, he unselfishly gave Lot first pick. Naturally, Lot chose the part of the land that was “well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden.” And why not? But God turned Abram’s “leftovers” – a land that was far less lush and would require far more work – into a beautiful covenant that blazed a trail to the New Covenant fulfilled by Jesus. When we stop insisting on our rights to luxury and easy roads, and choose to make the best of the “leftovers,” we may actually find greater comforts and richer blessings than we could ever imagine.

Lord, show me where I am being selfish and give me the strength to surrender everything to you.

Genesis Fourteen

||  Melchizedek, king of Salem (Jerusalem), brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. 

Four kings against five…..and Melchizedek. The first part of this chapter seems to be ripped from any good Viking series. It has four united kings against five united kings, asphalt pits, and a late-night ambush. Then, out of a seeming fog, comes Melchizedek. He just shows up. I did a bit of reading about him and the mysterious way he arrives to meet Abram doesn’t appear to be solvable. Hebrews seven describes him as a “king of righteousness…without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.” Mysterious!

Hebrews goes on to say that he “did not become a priest based on a legal regulation about physical descent but based on the power of an indestructible life.” An indestructible life. What an awesome thing to be said of you.

It appears that some believe Melchizedek was actually an Old Testament appearance of Jesus. Some believe he is the appearance of some other Biblical icon, like Job or Seth or even an angel. Like I said….mysterious.

So, if Biblical scholars can’t agree, then I’m certainly not going to attempt a conclusion about who he really was. The conclusion I can make is that God’s ways are so far beyond anything we will ever grasp. That’s why it’s called faith. Either we choose to believe that the God of the universe knows all, creates all, and directs all, or we don’t. I choose to believe. And to trust that he is working everything together in his own way, in his own time, and with his own purpose.

Genesis Fifteen

||  On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your offspring…”

I don’t know whether to be jealous or thankful that God knows my “end.” I mean, wouldn’t it be nice to know?

When God revealed Abraham’s future in the form of a covenant, Abraham responded with questions and complaints. It would be great to believe what God was telling him, but all he could SEE was his now.

“What can you give me, since I am childless?”

“Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.”

“How can I know that all of this will happen?”

Our nature is to fight to make sense of what is right in front of us instead of trusting God’s infinite plan. We see the roadblocks; He sees the detours. Abraham had every human reason to doubt, and he would ultimately die in peace and be buried at a good old age, before the entire covenant was ever fulfilled. But it was fulfilled. Abraham saw the now; God saw the end.

Genesis Sixteen

||  The angel of the Lord found her by a spring in the wilderness.

God redeems us…even after manipulation and rejection. He cared for Hagar. He gave her a son that would become a great nation (Genesis 17:20). Still, he didn’t rescue her from suffering. He left her in an uncomfortable and painful spot so that his plan could be fulfilled through her…so uncomfortable that she ran away to hide, but God found her and spoke a message of hope. It was a good plan that didn’t feel good at the time.

Do I only see his plans as “good” when I feel good? Do I run away when things get hard? Or do I hold fast to God’s greater purpose?

Lord, give me the wisdom to accept hard things with unswerving hope in your goodness.

Genesis Seventeen

||  Abraham laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?”

Nothing about God’s promise of a child made sense to Abraham, so surely it was time to take matters into his own hands…to help God out. Abraham’s wife was old…too old to have a child…so she began to plot with the best intentions. Surely if Abraham was supposed to have a child then it would need to be with another woman. Surely that would be the best, most logical way to fulfill God’s promise. And soon, Ishmael was born.

But Ishmael was not the child God promised. And all of Sarah’s best intentions led to heartache and strife.

We are fixers. When circumstances are difficult and confusing in our lives or the lives of our kids, we can get impatient and jump into action, with the best intentions. But what if God has a better plan? What if he wants us to simply be still and wait for him to work things out for a greater good?

When Abraham became impatient, God said: “I am El Shaddai (God Almighty); walk before me faithfully…” In other words, I am in control. Focus on doing what’s right and let me take care of the rest.

Genesis Eighteen

||  Then the Lord said, “…I will go down to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to me.”

Such a human view of God. His thoughts here are so relatable and he is met with equally relatable questions from Abraham. “Will you really… What if… You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?” (18:22-25)

Aren’t these the same questions we find ourselves asking today?

Genesis Nineteen

||  Run for your lives! Don’t look back and don’t stop anywhere on the plain!

A little humor – at least from my point of view – in the midst of a dark and dramatic situation. God told Lot to flee Sodom & Gomorrah…to run for his life and go to the mountains, never looking back. But Lot replies, “I can’t run to the mountains; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die…Look, this town is close enough for me to flee to.” I get it, Lot. I get it.

Genesis Twenty

||  Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against me.”

A half-truth rooted in fear and protection rooted in grace. Thank God, he knows our hearts, our fears, our weaknesses, and he works things out for our good.

Stay tuned for more…

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