Project 52 | Week 1

I am so thankful to my dear friend, Angela over at Selfless Ambition! She is always challenging me and holding me accountable. This year is no different. She challenge me to read the Bible every day in order to read the entire Bible this year. So, she has mapped out a reading plan that can be found here! I accepted the challenge, and to my surprise, have read the Bible every day for the first week...no missing one day and catching up the next, but actually reading small bits every single day. I've found myself enjoying the reading so much that I went into the next day's reading on accident.

If I'm completely honest, I have to admit that I haven't really mastered how to study the Bible. I read and if something jumps out at me or God speaks to me through His Word, I take heed and I keep reading. I think next week, I'll take notes as I read. I hope also to spend a little more time in prayer and meditating on God's Word.

But for this week, after reading Genesis 1-24, here are my take-aways:

1. God makes all things new! Even though this wasn't in the reading, I was constantly reminded of this verse as I read the creation story. I was reminded of this verse when I was down and out on New Year's Day. God has the power not only to make all things as He did in Genesis 1, but He also has the power to make all things new. I've committed this as my memory verse for the first two weeks of 2013.

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  ~ Revelation 21:5 (ESV)

2.  God answers prayers! I was amazed at how Abraham interceded for the city of Sodom (Genesis 18:22-32). He asked if God would indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked. After pleading with God to not destroy Sodom if He found 50 righteous. He went on to push that number to 45 righteous, then 40, then 20, and finally 10. God remembered Abraham's prayers and rescued Lot.

So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.  ~ Genesis 19:29 (ESV)

3. Good keeps His promises! God promised Abraham he would be a great nation in Genisis 12:2.  God clarifies this promising Abraham a son of his own in Genesis 15:4. Abraham and Sarai, his wife, were up in age, and Sarai took this promise into her own hands, giving Abraham her maid, Hagar, to which a child was born. This son, Ishmael, was not the son God promised Abraham and clarifies some more when He promises a son by Abraham's wife Sarai in Genesis 16:17 and again in Genesis 17:16. Well, that promise is held even though it was not in Abraham's timing.

The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.  ~ Genesis 21:1-2 (ESV)

There are several promises throughout the Bible for those who believe. I am encouraged by the life of Abraham to believe those promises for myself as well.

I am so thankful for the time I've spent in God's Word this week! I am looking forward to what treasures are buried in His Word for me next week and what I can share with others.

I'm linking up with Angela @ Selfless Ambition and I hope you'll hop over there to see what God is doing in the lives of others or to share what God is revealing to you!