Genesis 8:20-22 (ESV) CONTEXT: Noah, his family and all of the animals have just come out of the ark.

Find true forgiveness through true confession. 1 John 1:8-10 (NIV) 8 If we claim to be without sin, we

I will obey your decrees (v7-8).

Genesis 45:1–8 (NIV) CONTEXT: Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his brothers, only to ascend ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 

God is the overflowing fountain of all good. Who are you giving the credit to? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 125 Q. What does the fourth request mean? A. “Give us today our daily bread” means, Do take care of all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone. Summary If you learned about the Greek gods in school, you likely remember how much drama was involved: from the intricate family feuds and love triangles to the epic battles and cunning schemes, their stories were full of intense and intrigue. There's a big difference between the mythological Greek pantheon and our Father, "who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them." Whereas the Greek gods were simply reflections of humanity, albeit with superhuman powers, the God of the Bible is the exact opposite. Humanity is created in His image, not vice versa. And although God certainly has superhuman powers, He is much more than an all powerful being; He is the very definition of goodness itself! The Belgic Confession, which we'll be learning about next year, describes God as being "the overflowing fountain of all good." Our Father shares this goodness with all people, both those who put their faith in Him and those who continue to rebel against Him. He shows kindness by plentifully providing for needs, sending rain from heaven even filling people's hearts with joy. We call this doctrine common grace. Dig Deeper Paul's awesome description of who God is comes in the context of a massive warning. Our sin impaired minds have always attributed the good blessings God gives to other things. In the past, fabricated idols were given credit. In our own day and age, governments, businesses or our own inflated egos are said to be the source of the good life we have. Whatever it is that you point to as the source of your abundance, if it's not the living God, then as Paul writes, it's a "worthless thing." "In the past," Paul writes, "He let the nations all go their own way (v16)." God keeps providing rain and joy to people regardless of who they attribute it to, but His patience will not continue forever. He will call all people to account. As you pray the simple words, "give us this day our daily bread," you're not just asking God for what you need, you're acknowledging that He is the only source of everything good in your life. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them, and who is the overflowing fountain of all good; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will recognize Him as the source of blessing in your life and that He will continue to provide for your daily needs. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 9

ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 13

Hebrews 9:22-28 (NIV) CONTEXT: One of the key themes in the book of Hebrews is that 'Jesus is better and sacrificial system, which are described as only "a copy and shadow of what is in heaven" (Hebrews 8: sacrifice of himself. 27  Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28

opportunities come; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 8

Relax: God omnipotently controls all of history as He pleases. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary Most of the book of Isaiah was written to warn God's rebellious people that if they did not repent God would send them into exile, which of course did happen when God used the Babylonians to defeat Israel. But this final section of the book is written to be an encouragement to the people once the exile has occurred. God tells His people of their coming salvation, even before their exile had begun! History records that one of the most powerful men to ever live, King Cyrus, would be the one to defeat the Babylonians and subsequently return Israel's remnant back home seventy years after they had been taken away. God reminds His people - both then, and now - that He is omnipotently controlling history (Cyrus is the "bird of prey" from the east that God has summoned in v11 to "fulfill His purpose"). God calls His people to two specific actions in today's passage: First He calls the "rebels" to remember who He is (v9): to know He is God and there is none other like Him, and that He will "do all that [He] pleases (v10)." Secondly, He demands the "stubborn hearted" must "listen to me" (v12). Of course all of God's Word is worth listening to, but the next few words that come in v13 are key to understanding the message of the gospel. God is not coming to bring salvation just to make life a little better for His people. Rather, He's bringing salvation to those "far from [His] righteousness" by "bringing [His] righteousness near" (v12-13). In the immediate context, God would use mighty King Cyrus to bring salvation to Israel, but it's not hard to see how this passage illustrates that all of God's omnipotence is focused on one goal: restoring the righteousness of His rebellious, stubborn people (us) through His Son so that we can once again be in a right relationship with Him. Dig Deeper The Latin-based word, omnipotence, literally means all-power. So it's not really wrong for you to understand that your omnipotent Father can do all things. But that's not really technically correct when it comes down to it. Every kid has pondered the age old question: can God make a rock so big that He can't lift it? The paradoxical question is silly for sure, but it does help us understand God's omnipotence correctly. There are limits to what God can do: God constrains Himself by Himself. In other words, God can not do that which violate His own attributes. He can not show anger in a way that violates His love, just as He cannot show mercy in a way that infringes His justice. God explains exactly how you ought to understand His omnipotence in v10 when He says, "I will do all that I please." As you begin a new year, find peace by keeping these two commands God gives you in Isaiah 46: Remember who God is and that He has an unblemished record in controlling history in the way that He pleases, and, listen to Him as He builds you up in the righteousness won for you by Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our omnipotent Father, who will do all that He pleases; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that in this new year you will remember who God is and listen to His Word; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 7

was with His disciples in Caesarea Philippi, and Peter had testified that Jesus is the Christ (Mark 8: