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Advent Devotion Series: Prepare Him Room - PEACE

Debbie Briggs

Advent Devotion Series: Prepare Him Room - PEACE

Advent Devotion Series: Prepare Him Room - HOPE

Jenniemarie Cisneros

Advent Devotion Series: Prepare Him Room - HOPE

Advent Devotion Series: Prepare Him Room - Introduction

Central Women

Advent Devotion Series: Prepare Him Room - Introduction

Week Ten - El Olam: The Everlasting God

Becky Thompson

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God (El Olam). Genesis 21:33 ESV I thought I would start by plugging the scripture in right there at the top, because honestly, while this is cool, and this is the first time we see “El Olam” in the scriptures, Abraham and his gardening skills aren’t going to be the topic of conversation today. I found myself going round and round trying to figure out how to share with you how very special and incomprehensible this characteristic of God is, but it’s just that… incomprehensible. As I studied the scripture and commentaries on this portion of scripture, I was really confused. I didn’t understand why it’s so important that Abraham and Abimelech made a treaty. I didn’t understand the importance of Abraham planting a tree and calling out to God. A quick note: a tamarisk tree is an evergreen and long-living tree, how fitting to use a tamarisk tree as a symbol of permanence! If you missed that, head back to Genesis 21:22 and read until verse 34. If you’ve spent some time in Genesis or studying the life of Abraham, and if you’re like me, you might be thinking…“wait a second… isn’t Abimelech the guy that Abraham gave his wife to?” Here’s a very quick recap. Abraham was afraid that Abimelech and the men with him would kill him and take his wife Sarah to be Abimelech’s wife. Abraham’s clever ideas was to tell them Sarah was his sister (technically true and um… awkward, see Genesis 20:12). Instead of waiting to see what would happen or pick up and leave, Abraham misled them, and Abimelech, the King of Gerar, took Sarah as his wife. It’s a doozy of a story, check it out by reading Genesis 20. It’s only 18 verses… so you got this! Um, I have no words, except that THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME HE DID THIS! See Gen 12:10-20. By the way, these are the same folks they were just known back then as Abram and Sarai. Ladies, I really struggle to get over this. I think this is the hang-up I have with the whole treaty thing. What’s the significance of these two men having a treaty here, what’s the significance of the tamarisk tree? Why does Abraham choose this time and place to worship God and call him “El Olam”? To answer these, we have to understand some of the context and what has been going on. Let’s take a look backward. Abraham had so much going for him, yet there are a number of questionable decisions he makes or agrees to. Here’s two: • He gives his wife to Pharaoh in Genesis 12. • He lets Sarah convince him to take God’s promise of “being a father of many nations” (Genesis 15:4-5) into his own hands (FYI, he takes Sarah’s servant, Hagar, and gets her pregnant. Again…no words). So, when I read that Abraham cuts a treaty with the king that he previously gave his wife to and plants a tree to remember this place and moment and calls upon the name of El Olam, the only conclusion I can draw is that we have a God who keeps His promises and His mercy endures. No matter how much we may mess up. Abraham is flawed and God never leaves him. Friends, we are flawed, and God never leaves us. This feels like a breath of fresh air! Let’s keep going. We know from study over previous weeks the term “El” is Hebrew for God. “Olam”, also Hebrew, doesn’t exactly translate to English. The best we can do is describe it as “everlasting.” While “olam” translated as “everlasting” is mentioned 400 times in the Bible, the name “El Olam” is only used four times. God is Everlasting. God exists for eternity, forever, and is change-less. God will never change. Let me say that again…God will never change. We can count on that. Today, things around us are changing, almost constantly. Things are out of our control and we are at the whims and mercy of those wielding the power or decision making. Gas prices are changing, the seasons change, finances change, circumstances and relationships change. Even my kids school schedule changes almost weekly! It’s a phenomenon I can’t get over. I don’t think I’ll ever crush my schedule in any given week when my kids have random days off in the middle of the week, or extra-extra early releases! In Revelation 1:8, God reveals himself to us as “the Alpha and Omega”. A reference to the Greek alphabet, alpha is the first letter, and omega is the last letter. He’s the beginning and the end of all time. He is the God of now and the God of the future. He is God, who always was, always is, and always will be. Contrast to us, we are finite. We have a beginning and an end. We were born with physical bodies and we will pass away from this earth. In my humanity, I can relate to Abraham. I need something stable and something that endures. There is enough change and crazy happening here and I’ve made my fair share of not-so-wise decisions, just like Abraham. But this isn’t about Abraham. It’s certainly not about me (or you either!). It’s about El Olam, our Everlasting God, who deserves to have evergreens planted as symbols of His character and for us to call on His name and worship Him. Abraham isn’t the only one to describe God as everlasting. Let’s see how others in scripture have described or worshipped Him. King David calls out to El Olam: “from eternity to eternity, you are God” (Psalm 90:2) and sings out, the “LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5) God reveals His unchanging nature through a message he gave to Malachi, “I, the Lord, have not changed.” (Malachi 3:6) The author of Hebrews affirms, “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Take a moment and head back to Genesis 21 and read verse 22-34. These two men had not-so-insignificant issue last chapter and through their resolution they gave each other things (animals, silver and prayers), and here they are again, another issue, resolving it with the exchange of animals again, but this time there’s an addition of seven ewe lambs. Let’s break this down. Abimelech asks Abraham…“what’s the meaning of the seven ewe lambs?”. Abraham explains it’s the legal proof that he dug this well. Side note: digging a well was one of the first and main ways one could establish ownership of a property during these times. Also, water was extremely scarce and valuable in Palestine back then and still to this day. Part of the conflict we hear coming out of the region of Israel and Palestine now has to do with water and the rights to it. Back to the scripture. So they make an oath, a swearing if you will. According to Ellicott’s Commentary, “the word in Hebrew for “swearing” is a passive verb, literally signifying “to be sevened,” that is, done or confirmed by seven. In this ancient narrative we see a covenant actually thus made binding. Seven ewe lambs are picked out and placed by themselves, and by accepting these Abimelech bound himself to acknowledge and respect Abraham’s title to the well.” So, all is well, (no pun intended) and Abraham plants a tree and the place is called Beer Sheba. Any guesses on what Beer Sheba stands for? If you guessed “seven wells” or “oath of wells” you would be correct! Wells can translate to “beer” for us today, or “ba’ar”. “Sheba” came from “sheva”, that is very similar to “seven”, which we know means swearing or an oath. I could go on and on with the linguistics here. It is fascinating stuff, but a lot crammed into this little paragraph. You can dive deeper into this any time by getting yourself a study bible, books on Hebrew translations or commentaries. Alas, we’re at the end (“alas” stems from the Latin word lassus meaning…I’m kidding, I’m done with the linguistics). But we are at the end. When all of this is said and done, Abraham has been through so much, and there’s definitely more coming for him if you keep reading Genesis. But, he doesn’t miss the opportunity to create a meaningful place to commemorate this enduring oath. He plants a tree as this symbol and he worships his God, his El Olam. The everlasting God who endures, who keeps His promises, who never leaves us, who never changes. Abraham knows this to be the true, the accurate character of God, because he walks with Him, he listens to Him. Abraham’s life hasn’t been perfect and we know there are some things he’s done that leave us scratching our heads, but God doesn’t change. And God doesn’t let the flaws we have get in the way. Our everlasting God deserves our praise and worship. And now that we know this, we can call on Him, by name. So who is El Olam to you? How does knowing God as El Olam impact you, the way you live and the way you worship? If you haven’t known God as El Olam, what steps can you take to learn more about Him? What’s one thing in your life right now that you can or need to call out to El Olam? Let’s Pray: El Olam, you are our Everlasting Father. You deserve all the glory and praise. Your love and promises endure. You endure. You are our refuge and safe place and we know we can count on You and Your unchanging nature, and we know nothing we can do or say will make You turn from us. Help each one of us to continually turn toward You in our times of challenge or stress. Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace that You give freely to us, each and every day. Amen.

Week Nine - El Roi: The God Who Sees

Jenniemarie Cisneros

We live in a world where access to connection with others near and far is instantaneous and constant, and yet, people are lonelier than ever. It is so easy to curate a life filled with highlight reels for others looking in to see. But we guard our real lives. To be fair it’s hard to capture fear, despair, waiting for answers, indecisiveness, and all of life’s unanswered questions in a pretty, little square picture box with the perfect caption. We scroll and see how others seem to have it all together and we think, “if only this… or that…” We continue to pray and seek God’s wisdom, but we grow weary and take matters into our hands you know, to help God along. Before we know it, we have isolated ourselves and wonder if anyone sees us. Does God see us? News flash: He Does! In fact, one of the names for God is El Roi which literally means the God who sees me. It is only used once in scripture and it was Hagar, a woman slave, who gave God the name. In Genesis we learn of the story of Abram and Sarai. God made a promise to make a great nation through their many, many offspring to come. The only problem was they were old in age and Sarai was barren. Still full of faith, Abram and Sarai believed until Sarai didn’t. She got tired of waiting and started to question logistically how this would be possible and decided to take matters in her own hands. This is where we are introduced to Hagar. Genesis 16: 1-4a says, “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her. Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.” Oftentimes when we study this passage, we focus on Sarai being inpatient and the consequences of a lack of faith. Today, I want us to focus on Sarah’s decision, including Abram’s agreement, from Hagar’s point of view. Hagar had zero say in the matter. She was a slave and under the authority of Sarai. She was not seen as a person but as property to do as she was told. Reading this story with Hagar in mind is important to understand not only how she was feeling but what was at stake in the actions she was about to take. Let’s continue reading Genesis16: 4b-6. "When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me. Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her." Sarai became resentful and jealous of Hagar. She blamed Abraham for doing exactly what she asked causing Hagar to despise her. I mean, if I was Hagar, I wouldn’t be exactly happy about this situation. Sarai began to mistreat Hagar so much so that Hagar ran away. Leaving may seem like the obvious choice to you and me if we were in a situation where we were treated poorly but remember Hagar was a slave. She was pregnant, alone, and had nowhere to go. She felt helpless and unknown. Let’s see how this changes in Genesis 16:7 - 12 "The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” The angel of the LORD also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” This is the first time the term Angel of the Lord appears in the Bible. The use of this phrase translates as God himself appearing to Hagar. It’s important to note that God didn’t just appear, he called her by name: Hagar slave of Sarai! Not only did God see her, He knew exactly who she was. He took the time to comfort her and make a promise to increase her descendants for her obedience. Check out Hagar’s response in Genesis 16:13- 16 “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.” This is significant for many reasons. There are many names for God: Abba, Yahweh, Jehovah Shalom, Elohim… to name a few. We learn these names because God reveals Himself with these names and how they are significant in describing a part of His character. El Roi is the only name given to God… and it fascinates me that it was given to Him by a woman, who’s job was to go unnoticed. This story resonates with me on many levels. I had a dysfunctional at best childhood. So much so that at one point I too was a runaway. Surely life on the street would be better than my home life. The jury is still out on that answer. I do know this, I left because I felt helpless and unseen. This feeling became a reoccurring theme in my life from being a young professional woman in the workforce, a stay at mom, the only woman of color in many rooms, a trauma kid who manages anxiety and depression, and well, just a human being trying to be a disciple of Christ. Just recently I broke down in tears, ugly crying because I felt like I was failing at everything: being a wife, mom, sister, friend, employee. The hardest part is feeling alone because I often feel like if I tell anyone I was struggling they would see me differently. It’s an old trauma response: trying to control the narrative of my life. But you know what? God sees me. The real me and I am reminded that I am created in His image on purpose for a purpose. I am not a mistake, and I don’t need to prove my worth to Him. I am worthy simply because I am His. It is who our God is. A God who sees. The same characteristic is demonstrated in Jesus. Jesus saw people, especially women. He went out of His way to have an encounter with the woman at the well, He stood up for the woman caught in adultery, and He called the bleeding woman daughter after she was healed. I’m not sure what your story is but I believe it’s a safe bet you either have experienced a time when you felt unseen or are struggling in this exact moment. When I start to feel this way, I am reminded of Hagar’s story and she once felt so desperate she fled and was found by God who gave her so much hope of all the names she called him El Roi, the God who sees me. Sisters, you too are seen, known, and loved by God. Call out to El Roi, lay your request before Him and allow Him to comfort you, to restore you, to give you peace that transcends all understanding. He sees you and He knows you by name. Before we close our time together today. I want you to grab a notebook and a pen. Look up versus below and write them down. Make it a priority to commit them to memory. Recite them back to yourself any time you need a reminder that God is El Roi. Ephesians 1:4 – 5 Jeremiah 1:5 Psalms 139:14 Let’s Pray: Father God, I pray that every woman reading this feels seen and known by you. May you restore their hope and faith. Provide tangible ways to meet their needs here on Earth. Give them courage to reach out, to show up, be brave and share their needs with others. May be reminded often that you are El Roi, the God who sees.

Week Eight - Jehova-Jireh: The Lord Will Provide

Erin Stearns

Lord God, Thank you for this opportunity to share the ways you have provided in my life. Please provide the words to me now as you know I am much more comfortable with verbal communication than written. Speak to our hearts Lord and make Yourself known. Thank you for Your Ultimate provision, Jesus Christ. Your Son, who sacrificed Himself so that we may have life in Him. In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen. I have come to know God more as Jehovah-Jireh these past few years more than any other name He carries. I trust God to provide my finances, to help me raise my children, to guide my marriage, and to help me get through my struggles while healing my hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Why would I not trust him to guide me as I write about the ways He shows up for me? Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide. Jehovah- Jireh, means that God is watching us very closely, searching for our needs and then providing for us when that need arises. The Lord will provide salvation. John 3:16 (NIV) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Salvation is the greatest provision that each one of us needs. God has provided for our eternal salvation by giving the greatest gift He could give—His Son—to die for our sins. Jesus rescued me from the depths of my drug addiction at 20 years old. At that time, my dad was incredibly ill with early onset Alzheimer’s and Dementia. We took up visiting shifts between the hospital, nursing homes and home, and during this Jesus was watching out for me. I was lost in my addiction with only fellow addicts to call friends and in the background, Jesus was calling for me. My mom and sister were doing everything they could to hold our lives together and behind the scenes Jesus was preparing a way for me. He reached in and pulled me out of the pit I was in, and my life was forever changed. Isaiah 25:9 (NIV) In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation. The Lord will provide a way back to him. Romans 8:39 (NIV) Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Throughout the years I slowly drifted away from God, choosing my will over His. There have been plenty of times when I knew God was calling me back, but I was too stubborn to go. The loudest call I’ve had, came after my daughter was born. I was so lonely as a new stay at home mom of two. I felt lost without my career, longing for purpose outside of my children. God saw my loneliness and knew I needed more. A dear friend invited me repeatedly to her mom ‘s group at church, but I was adamant that I just wasn’t a “moms group kind of girl.” I did, however, agree to join her for a Central Women’s movie night. From the moment I stepped in, I could feel the love the leaders had poured into the event and my spirit was suddenly still. I knew I was in the right place. I ended up joining the mom’s group, becoming a table leader, and eventually would be asked to lead the Central Mom’s group at our Mesa Campus. By attending and investing in this mom’s group and returning to church each weekend, I found my way back to Jesus. And guess what, eventually, my husband did too. The Lord will provide a way forward. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. If you would’ve told me 5 years ago that I would be homeschooling two karate kids, leading a mom’s group, and writing a blog for a Bible study, all while being completely sober, I would’ve scoffed. None of those things have ever been on a list of things I had the desire to do. Before having Jesus back in my life, my plan was to enjoy my career as a medical assistant, maybe even managing a practice someday. I imagined little things like toting my kids back-and-forth to softball and baseball games as they excelled in academics while earning lots of patches for their letterman’s jackets. Boy did God have other plans for my life! However, as I grow closer to Jesus, I realize it’s not about what I have planned, it’s about what He has planned for me. I constantly remind myself to lean in and trust that He has provided everything I need to complete the race he has set out before me. Just as I had my own plans in mind for what God had blessed me with, I am sure Abraham had plans of his own future before God asked him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Genesis 22:2 (NIV) Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love- Isaac_ and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Abraham, having built his relationship with God long before, had full faith in Him having proved Himself trustworthy. Abraham obediently packed his supplies along with his son and headed to the mountaintop. Once there, he prepared the altar and was ready with his knife in hand to sacrifice his son. However, because of Abraham’s faith, God came through and provided a ram in the thicket to offer instead. Abraham passed the test, and the nations were blessed for it. Genesis 22:14 (NIV) So, Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” The Lord will provide a way out. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Although I have a history of drug addiction, I never would’ve called myself an alcoholic. Throughout the years, I have been able to stop drinking on my own accord, such as during my two pregnancies and while having some minor health issues here and there. When the pandemic hit however, I found myself leaning more and more on my glass of wine at night than on the strength of Jesus. I found myself anxiously awaiting that pre-dinner glass of wine and with the days all melting together, I would start earlier and earlier. There was that deep feeling of loneliness again. This feeling was more than just pandemic based. I had fallen away from Jesus and was trying to rely on my own strength again to pull through. When I heard about Celebrate Recovery, a Christ based twelve step program, during a sermon one day, I felt a pull at my heart. Jesus was calling me. A few months later, I was invited by a friend who didn’t want to go alone. I accepted and in turn encouraged my husband to check it out. A few weeks went by, and my husband felt called to join a step study, an answered prayer, and a story for a different day. My husband and I have been on our journey of healing since October 2021. Not just practicing sobriety but diving deeper into our relationship with Jesus. It’s been incredible to see God show up in such a real way! Our marriage is better, our parenting is better, and God has revealed “hurts” that I didn't even realize I was carrying. Thinking back throughout the years, of all the ways God has provided for me and continues to provide for me, is overwhelming at times. He continues to rescue me and make me open my eyes to the things He wishes to reveal to me. I know He will continue to push me towards things that are hard, and I welcome Him with open arms because I know it is His will, not mine, it’s His story of my life, not mine. How is God providing for you?” Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide for you. The future may be unknown, but our God is not. When God brings it all together, it’s not going to be what you think. It’s going to be bigger, better, and more rewarding than you ever expected. How has Jehovah-Jireh shown Himself to you? What area in your life is God using to draw you back to him? What is God calling you to? What is he asking you to sacrifice and release control of so He can put something better in its place? With Jehovah Jireh guiding us we can confidently say yes! Yes, to the things that terrify us. Yes, to the things that are hard. Yes, to the things the world would say no to. Yes, to the things that require effort. Yes, to the things that will inspire growth. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) Let us then approach God’s throne with grace and confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

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