Radically Happy

Category: Devotional

  • Genesis 36:1-36:43 He came, Esau, He conquered

    generations of Esau… not part of blessing… God of fathers… Esau leaves… over-prospered… mama’s boy… assert manhood… intervention… monogamist… duke… legend… primogeniture… lost interest…

  • Genesis 35:1-35:29 A Bedding and Three Funerals

    return… fled from Esau… continuity and accountability… full circle… false gods… altar… weeping… blesses… prevails… kings… what she wants… died… neglecting… dozen… reunion… prosperity, relationship…

  • Genesis 34:1-34:31 Family Disgrace

    nubile… disgrace… conflict-avoidant… credibility… ticked… peace than honor… tradition and love… money and power… unkindest cut… consequences… radical evil… for family and honor… legitimate authority… fool.

  • Genesis 32:1-33:20 House Divided, Gathered, Divided

    vision… double-camp… negotiation… giving up things he stole… four hundred men… afraid… calls on Yahweh… faith, humility, fear, hope… bribe… wrestled… persevere… blessing… prevails… Esau’s heart… sour note…

  • Genesis 31:19-31:55 Fathers’ Gods

    family idols… folly… addiction… God’s chosen… trickster is tricked… wrong gods… years of anger… cruel exploitation… wise request… witness heap… Yahweh watching… emotional integrity… blessing…

  • Genesis 30:25-31:18 Stock Options

    send away… smooth-talker.. not trust… deliberate duplicity… pagan magic… cuts both ways… bad taste… divine intervention… providence… divine conception… resentment… cycle of connivance… tangled web

  • Genesis 29:31-30:24 Baby, Baby

    second wife… hated… desperation… Lord beheld… affection… heard… intimacy… praise… rivalry… maid… judgment… wrestling… polygamy… host… blessedness… humbling… hire… stud… dowry… do more… all the wrong places.

  • Genesis 29:1-29:30 Jacob and Two Women

    right place, right time… prove to Rachel… irony… wept… running… two daughters… romance… seven years… behold,Leah… at what price?… despised… cherished… eight-cow wife… a stand-in

  • Genesis 28:10-28:22 Ladder-Night Saint

    Haran… promise… blessing the clans of the earth… beyond Abraham… house of God… responds… returning home.. won’t trust Yahweh until… character or lack thereof.. disappointing… a price

  • Genesis 26:34-28:9 Daze of Wives and Roasts

    wife… grief of mind… earn the blessing? …mission impossible… skewed relationship… skilled liar… poor mimic… pay off… money, power, protection… missed birthright… rebellion… missed the point…

  • Genesis 26:1-26:33 Son of Abimelation

    a famine… again… the promise… tied to obedience… father’s lesson… passed down… sniveling… no shame… diverge… envy… resented… parting… strife… make peace… reconciliation… bless the peoples… living water…

  • Genesis 25:1-25:34 Family Plots

    again Abraham… another woman… inheritance… happy ending… his own people… intreating Yahweh… children struggled… enquire of the Lord… heel-holder… takes advantage… birthright… folly and cruelty…

  • Genesis 24:1-24:67 Rebeccan Call

    son’s marriage… senior slave… God’s promise… intriguing plan… testing God and the girl… hits the jackpot… on his master’s behalf… running… Yahweh… doesn’t name himself… hurry… blessing… rejoices…

  • Genesis 22:20-23:20 Tomb Realtor

    Sarah died… desolation… a tomb… permanent place… roots… gift giving… capitalism… everyone happy… recorded in detail… promised land… generations… strengthen relations… transformational economics…

  • Genesis 22:1-22:19 Moriah Carry

    famous test… only son… responds faithfully… extreme versus everyday… still small voice… life-changing… clung to promise… two irreconcilable truths… what faith is… together… nothing to lose… rewarded… integrity

  • Genesis 21:1-21:34 Laughter and Tears

    honoring Sarah… forgive and heal… laughter… mocking into mirth… to mocking… insecurity… dysfunctional family… no option… trusting God… water ran out.. promise and a well… water oath… everlasting God…

  • Genesis 20:1-20:18 Abimelation

    Abraham heads south… like last time… didn’t learn… still a babe… sense of propriety… slay righteous nation… blameless and lawful vs. moral… chance for redemption… Sarah’s feelings… Abraham’s intercession… restoration…

  • Genesis 19:1-19:38 Lot of Trouble

    two angels to Sodom… Middle Eastern hospitality… fears… homosexuality… violence towards strangers… courage or cluelessness… can’t live an isolated but righteous life… cinematic moment… consequences…

  • Genesis 18:16-18:33 Debating God

    death of Sodom… An odd question… staged for Abraham’s benefit… negotiating with God … to instruct Abraham… relational… interpretative framework for understanding God… postmodern commentary…

  • Genesis 18:1-18:15 Entertaining Angels

    Yahweh making house calls… a rich welcome… something was up… “Sarah thy wife shall have a son”… biological realities… laughable… neither ordinary biology nor extraordinary faith… God choosing…